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A review by carolpk
An Untamed State by Roxane Gay
5.0
The Hook - ”Once upon a time in a far-off land, I was kidnapped by a gang of fearless yet terrified young men with so much impossible hope beating inside their bodies it burned their very skin and strengthened their will right through their bones.”
The Line – ”The people love a real tragedy when they think it cannot happen to them.
The Sinker – Many young girls look up to their fathers. Fathers are larger than life, not only in stature but often also in voice. Fathers can do no wrong and in my case, my father was my first hero. We want to please our fathers even if it costs us something of ourselves.
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Circling back to The Hook you immediately know Mireille Duvall Jameson’s story is no fairy tale sprinkled with princesses and princes. Fiction that reads like non-fiction, it pulls no punches of what it means to be privileged in a country where poverty is the norm. In an almost Robin Hood kind of way Mireille becomes the vehicle in a political maneuver of an imbalance of money. When Mireille visits her homeland, Haiti with her son and husband, the family compound behind gates cannot protect her from the reality of a country in economical upheaval. What should have been a leisurely day at the beach ends in Mireille being kidnapped for ransom. It is a brutal telling of a woman with pride and spirit who has been taught to be strong and not fold under the worst circumstances. Whether her strength is an asset or a liability is hard to determine. Each of us will see this in light of our own determination. In Mireille’s case it is her father most of all who has set the tone of her substance.
”My father’s parents both died when he was young, in ways that disgusted him, in ways he once told us, that showed him that the only way to survive this world is by being strong.”
Be strong. These two words echo her consciousness throughout Mireille’s ordeal. Be strong, two small words that can be hard to live up to.
To her kidnappers:
”My father doesn’t believe in paying kidnappers. You should know that.”
the response:
”Your father will pay for his youngest daughter.”
These words are the crux of An Untamed State but not the only issue to explore or resolve. As the dedication states
for women, the world over
Magnificent writing, An Untamed State is a powerful story. I did not agree with all the choices the author made but these choices would make for interesting discussion.
”We loved Haiti. We hated Haiti. We did not understand or know Haiti. Years later, I still did not understand Haiti, but I longed for the Haiti of my childhood. When I was kidnapped, I knew I would never find that Haiti ever again.”
Don’t miss An Untamed State but be forewarned that like me, it may kick you in the gut, shock your senses and open your eyes to a world we know nothing about.
The Line – ”The people love a real tragedy when they think it cannot happen to them.
The Sinker – Many young girls look up to their fathers. Fathers are larger than life, not only in stature but often also in voice. Fathers can do no wrong and in my case, my father was my first hero. We want to please our fathers even if it costs us something of ourselves.
________________________________
Circling back to The Hook you immediately know Mireille Duvall Jameson’s story is no fairy tale sprinkled with princesses and princes. Fiction that reads like non-fiction, it pulls no punches of what it means to be privileged in a country where poverty is the norm. In an almost Robin Hood kind of way Mireille becomes the vehicle in a political maneuver of an imbalance of money. When Mireille visits her homeland, Haiti with her son and husband, the family compound behind gates cannot protect her from the reality of a country in economical upheaval. What should have been a leisurely day at the beach ends in Mireille being kidnapped for ransom. It is a brutal telling of a woman with pride and spirit who has been taught to be strong and not fold under the worst circumstances. Whether her strength is an asset or a liability is hard to determine. Each of us will see this in light of our own determination. In Mireille’s case it is her father most of all who has set the tone of her substance.
”My father’s parents both died when he was young, in ways that disgusted him, in ways he once told us, that showed him that the only way to survive this world is by being strong.”
Be strong. These two words echo her consciousness throughout Mireille’s ordeal. Be strong, two small words that can be hard to live up to.
To her kidnappers:
”My father doesn’t believe in paying kidnappers. You should know that.”
the response:
”Your father will pay for his youngest daughter.”
These words are the crux of An Untamed State but not the only issue to explore or resolve. As the dedication states
for women, the world over
Magnificent writing, An Untamed State is a powerful story. I did not agree with all the choices the author made but these choices would make for interesting discussion.
”We loved Haiti. We hated Haiti. We did not understand or know Haiti. Years later, I still did not understand Haiti, but I longed for the Haiti of my childhood. When I was kidnapped, I knew I would never find that Haiti ever again.”
Don’t miss An Untamed State but be forewarned that like me, it may kick you in the gut, shock your senses and open your eyes to a world we know nothing about.