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A review by amywheresshereading
When I Was White: A Memoir by Sarah Valentine
2.0
When I Was White by Sarah Valentine is a memoir about her childhood growing up in rural Pennsylvania, in an Irish/Italian family as a white girl. This novel explores Sarah’s childhood and how she felt as though she never really fit in. Then in her adult life she learned that her biological father, was not the Irish dad she grew up with, but in fact an African American man she had never known, or heard her mom speak of.
At the age of 27, when she finds out this information Sarah begins to question everything that has happened in her childhood. She re-evaluates her life through a new lens; the lens of a mixed woman.
This book was interesting and I found myself immediately googling the author to see her picture. I did find the photo she talks about in the book; Sarah with her two brothers. The book brought up some important discussions about how race and ethnicity develops you as a child and teenager. After reading, I wish the book explored Sarah’s mother more, I think their relationship was an interesting part of the book. Overall I felt as though the memoir could have been condensed a lot. I feel as though it would have been better as an article rather than a book.
At the age of 27, when she finds out this information Sarah begins to question everything that has happened in her childhood. She re-evaluates her life through a new lens; the lens of a mixed woman.
This book was interesting and I found myself immediately googling the author to see her picture. I did find the photo she talks about in the book; Sarah with her two brothers. The book brought up some important discussions about how race and ethnicity develops you as a child and teenager. After reading, I wish the book explored Sarah’s mother more, I think their relationship was an interesting part of the book. Overall I felt as though the memoir could have been condensed a lot. I feel as though it would have been better as an article rather than a book.