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A review by gnuoymas
Thin Places: A Natural History of Healing and Home by Kerri ní Dochartaigh
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
2.5
a harrowing memoir, this book takes us through the turbulent childhood of kerri ní dochartaigh who was raised during the height of the troubles. as she recounts her life up until 2020, she paints a traumatic, but ultimately hopeful, picture of living in derry, northern Ireland.
i had high hopes for this book as this is where my family is from. i wanted to dive in and better understand the trauma of the troubles from a first-hand account. kerri has gone through it, that's for sure. she tells us of the trauma she had to endure in explicit detail while balancing it with interesting reflection. she tackles themes of reconciliation and reciprocity of physical places, transformation through nature, and collective trauma. what i found most interesting is her discussions on place; the how and why a place is sacred, and how we can reclaim their ancient meanings for modern times. i think thin places exist all around us, a feeling of groundedness and clarity that can be felt while swimming in bodies of water, hiking through forests, and sitting in the expansiveness of a busy city. she shows us how she overcame trauma through nature, how briefly losing our sense of self can help us find peace in ourselves, and running away from a place steeped in personal trauma may be the only place that can be truly healing.
i think what i struggled with is how repetitive this memoir was. each chapter felt like a reflection on the same themes paired with a different part of her life while not providing anything new or insightful to consider. it, at times, felt indulgent and lacking in the depth that i was hoping for. this one took me about a month to finish for this reason, even though it's 250 pages.
i am CONTINUING to go through it with each of these gd Irish authors!!! SOMEONE GIVE THEM LEXAPRO OR SOMETHING
i had high hopes for this book as this is where my family is from. i wanted to dive in and better understand the trauma of the troubles from a first-hand account. kerri has gone through it, that's for sure. she tells us of the trauma she had to endure in explicit detail while balancing it with interesting reflection. she tackles themes of reconciliation and reciprocity of physical places, transformation through nature, and collective trauma. what i found most interesting is her discussions on place; the how and why a place is sacred, and how we can reclaim their ancient meanings for modern times. i think thin places exist all around us, a feeling of groundedness and clarity that can be felt while swimming in bodies of water, hiking through forests, and sitting in the expansiveness of a busy city. she shows us how she overcame trauma through nature, how briefly losing our sense of self can help us find peace in ourselves, and running away from a place steeped in personal trauma may be the only place that can be truly healing.
i think what i struggled with is how repetitive this memoir was. each chapter felt like a reflection on the same themes paired with a different part of her life while not providing anything new or insightful to consider. it, at times, felt indulgent and lacking in the depth that i was hoping for. this one took me about a month to finish for this reason, even though it's 250 pages.
i am CONTINUING to go through it with each of these gd Irish authors!!! SOMEONE GIVE THEM LEXAPRO OR SOMETHING