kimnarby 's review for:

Diary of a Misfit by Casey Parks

5.0

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This book absolutely gripped me. Yes, it’s very queer and that type of literature does tend to capture my attention, but there’s something so much deeper in this story. Casey is reconciling her southern upbringing with the liberal progressive queer adult she has become - and struggling to figure out how the pieces fit together. This is obviously something most queer folks can relate to, but I think any adult can understand not fully feeling your true self when returning to family, and perhaps not asking the right questions, wanting to sidestep any hard conversations. My heart ached for Casey as she described being lonely in her 20’s, dating all the wrong people, searching for something meaningful in life that it turns out only she could give herself. This book heartbreakingly reminded me how short life is. I admire Casey for the time she took to sink into her roots while young, to interview her family members, capture them on film, to record their stories while they were still able to tell them. I will be thinking about this book for a long long time.