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claudyne 's review for:
A Country You Can Leave
by Asale Angel-Ajani
“My mother was my first country, the first place I ever lived.”
- Nayyirah Waheed
The quote above really resonated with me as I read the end of this novel. Motherhood is many things and those themes are definitely explored in this novel. The biracial protagonist, Lara, is definitely parentified, overlooked and neglected by her mother Yevgenia. Yevgenia is loaded with false wisdom that she garbs in tacky clothing and shields herself in a pseudo-intellectual person. If there is more to her, we don't see it because she hides it so carefully. Yevgenia is not meant to be a mother but she is, and is the first place Lara lives. Lara is a thoughtful and intelligent girl, so it becomes obvious to her that her mother habits are unhealthy. I spent most of the book hoping that these two would separate and Lara would get a chance to thrive is a circle that loves and values her. Ajani is a great author; this book engages all five senses until you are in the trailer park, cars and doctor's offices that the characters inhabit. It's a great read and also a gutting one.
- Nayyirah Waheed
The quote above really resonated with me as I read the end of this novel. Motherhood is many things and those themes are definitely explored in this novel. The biracial protagonist, Lara, is definitely parentified, overlooked and neglected by her mother Yevgenia. Yevgenia is loaded with false wisdom that she garbs in tacky clothing and shields herself in a pseudo-intellectual person. If there is more to her, we don't see it because she hides it so carefully. Yevgenia is not meant to be a mother but she is, and is the first place Lara lives. Lara is a thoughtful and intelligent girl, so it becomes obvious to her that her mother habits are unhealthy. I spent most of the book hoping that these two would separate and Lara would get a chance to thrive is a circle that loves and values her. Ajani is a great author; this book engages all five senses until you are in the trailer park, cars and doctor's offices that the characters inhabit. It's a great read and also a gutting one.