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A review by erine
Where Do We Go When We Disappear? by Madalena Matoso, Isabel Minhós Martins
Could be comforting in grief, and certainly presents some thoughtful considerations, but I was not greatly moved by this. Partly I think it was because it was too unfocused: by targeting "disappearance" and not death, the book becomes applicable if someone simply disappears from your life, which might be helpful in the case of estranged family members. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and might help spark conversations about any kind of death or disappearance, but it made it a more challenging read for me.
Mostly, though, I struggled with the final page: "Better than nothing... Nothing is too empty a place to go." This page struck me as the unprepared parent-in-the-headlights response to a too pointed question from their child, and not as a thoughtful response to a disappearance. Sometimes nothing (or nowhere) is exactly where things go, and that can be okay, too, even if it's not always pleasant to admit.
As a book to spark conversation, I appreciated the various perspectives of disappearance. And if death is not your reason for picking up this book, it might work for you. But as an honest look at what happens when people die or disappear, I felt as though the last page dropped the ball.
Mostly, though, I struggled with the final page: "Better than nothing... Nothing is too empty a place to go." This page struck me as the unprepared parent-in-the-headlights response to a too pointed question from their child, and not as a thoughtful response to a disappearance. Sometimes nothing (or nowhere) is exactly where things go, and that can be okay, too, even if it's not always pleasant to admit.
As a book to spark conversation, I appreciated the various perspectives of disappearance. And if death is not your reason for picking up this book, it might work for you. But as an honest look at what happens when people die or disappear, I felt as though the last page dropped the ball.