Scan barcode
A review by hanawulu
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
dark
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
In this book, Kiese Laymon grapples directly with what we each inherit from this society and from our closest loved ones. Feels like a book about "how we carry it all or not". Pretty remarkable example of a memoir narrated in second person, from a son to his mother. As is usual for Kiese Laymon's work (to my read at least) the story jumps between registers and has very intentional variations in tone that guide you through the story.
I struggled to start this book a few years ago for content/trigger warning reasons. On second attempt, a few years later, I am struck by how everything in this book fits together. I started to appreciate every page. Basically, I started to trust the structure of the book more. This is a book with several different layers of story to follow (the interpersonal relationships, the narrator's own understanding of trauma and love, what's going on with food/body/eating in the book, what's going on with place/geography, etc). The content needs space and time to develop.
I struggled to start this book a few years ago for content/trigger warning reasons. On second attempt, a few years later, I am struck by how everything in this book fits together. I started to appreciate every page. Basically, I started to trust the structure of the book more. This is a book with several different layers of story to follow (the interpersonal relationships, the narrator's own understanding of trauma and love, what's going on with food/body/eating in the book, what's going on with place/geography, etc). The content needs space and time to develop.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse