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A review by tanyamariereads
Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
5.0
"There comes a time when we realize that our parents cannot protect us, as much as we want, or need them to. There comes a time when we realize that we must save ourselves."
Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Diaz is by far one of my favorite memoirs. Her story begins in Puerto Rico where she was born and raised for much of her childhood. Her family then moves to Miami and that's when her home life begins to truly deteriorate. With her mother's substance abuse and mental illness, and her father's reluctance to intervene when life gets too rough, Jaquira finds herself needing to become an adult far too early in childhood. Jaquira Diaz doesn't hold back with sharing her experiences from her life. She discusses her relationships with toxic family members, her queerness, her depression, and her constant feeling of wanting to run away. Jaquira's memoir gives a voice to the many individuals who felt or still feels like the world doesn't care about their well being.
The formatting of the story made me feel like I was chatting with a friend that put great trust in me to let down all of their boundaries. I admired Jaquira's vulnerability in sharing her story, especially reading it as a queer Latinx woman. I have so much appreciation for this book because I've also experienced many of the feelings that Jaquira shares in this memoir. I'm familiar with feeling like I don't belong or trying to come to terms with my queerness or not really understanding how to handle my own mental health. Diaz self-exposes all of that and does so not in the hopes of having readers feeling sorry for her, but to connect with others with similar experiences to provide hope. It’s a story I wish I had to read while growing up and I’m so glad it’s available for others out there who need it.
Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Diaz is by far one of my favorite memoirs. Her story begins in Puerto Rico where she was born and raised for much of her childhood. Her family then moves to Miami and that's when her home life begins to truly deteriorate. With her mother's substance abuse and mental illness, and her father's reluctance to intervene when life gets too rough, Jaquira finds herself needing to become an adult far too early in childhood. Jaquira Diaz doesn't hold back with sharing her experiences from her life. She discusses her relationships with toxic family members, her queerness, her depression, and her constant feeling of wanting to run away. Jaquira's memoir gives a voice to the many individuals who felt or still feels like the world doesn't care about their well being.
The formatting of the story made me feel like I was chatting with a friend that put great trust in me to let down all of their boundaries. I admired Jaquira's vulnerability in sharing her story, especially reading it as a queer Latinx woman. I have so much appreciation for this book because I've also experienced many of the feelings that Jaquira shares in this memoir. I'm familiar with feeling like I don't belong or trying to come to terms with my queerness or not really understanding how to handle my own mental health. Diaz self-exposes all of that and does so not in the hopes of having readers feeling sorry for her, but to connect with others with similar experiences to provide hope. It’s a story I wish I had to read while growing up and I’m so glad it’s available for others out there who need it.