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A review by nightpath
Thin Places by Kerri ní Dochartaigh
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Such a beautiful blend of nature writing, ancient history and memoir!
It's clear from the beginning of this book that the content is deeply reflective and personal to the author, and Dochartaigh's slow pace sets you up to respect this. Her healing is painfully slow, traumatizing and hurtful, and I liked that she didn't brush over the set backs or depth of her trauma. In short, she validated herself in the book in ways that her youngest self could never have dreamed of and that in itself is beautiful to know as you read.
In a descriptive and linguistic sense, I felt that some chapters, especially towards the end, were packed with too many adjectives and I struggled to stay focused without skipping lines. To me, the last few chapters especially, felt like one long rambling repetitive reflection which went on slightly to long at each corner. Lots of the same imagery and 'root' words are returned to around bones and blood and while this lends to the atavistic quality of the book, for me it removed any forward motion and stunted the narrative.
Nonetheless, I loved stepping into Ireland and learning about its savred beginning as well as it's extremely violent and troubled past. Dochartaigh's reflective voice and turbulent lived experience is such a valuable and grounded way to learn about the Irish Troubles and the collective Irish ontology.
It's clear from the beginning of this book that the content is deeply reflective and personal to the author, and Dochartaigh's slow pace sets you up to respect this. Her healing is painfully slow, traumatizing and hurtful, and I liked that she didn't brush over the set backs or depth of her trauma. In short, she validated herself in the book in ways that her youngest self could never have dreamed of and that in itself is beautiful to know as you read.
In a descriptive and linguistic sense, I felt that some chapters, especially towards the end, were packed with too many adjectives and I struggled to stay focused without skipping lines. To me, the last few chapters especially, felt like one long rambling repetitive reflection which went on slightly to long at each corner. Lots of the same imagery and 'root' words are returned to around bones and blood and while this lends to the atavistic quality of the book, for me it removed any forward motion and stunted the narrative.
Nonetheless, I loved stepping into Ireland and learning about its savred beginning as well as it's extremely violent and troubled past. Dochartaigh's reflective voice and turbulent lived experience is such a valuable and grounded way to learn about the Irish Troubles and the collective Irish ontology.