Scan barcode
A review by bookish_calirican
The Things We Didn't Know by Elba Iris Pérez
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I wrote out review on mobile and then the app froze, losing all my progress...hopefully I can remember what I wanted to share. xD
I saw many parallels between the novel and my family history, especially on my mother's side. The cultural attitudes of the time regarding race, gender, and mental illness were very familiar to things I've heard family members say. It felt true life and was honest about aspects of our culture that many folks want to look past or brush under the rug. It's truly something special when you read a novel that speaks to your experiences on multiple levels.
The mother's behavior was really upsetting, Machi and Socorro were the real MVP's and Pablo's arc showed that people can get back on their feet even when they make mistakes. As someone who loves reading super long multigenerational stories I would've loved getting deeper into the timeline of the characters, maybe see more of what Pablo went through. But overall I enjoyed the book a great deal.
I saw many parallels between the novel and my family history, especially on my mother's side. The cultural attitudes of the time regarding race, gender, and mental illness were very familiar to things I've heard family members say. It felt true life and was honest about aspects of our culture that many folks want to look past or brush under the rug. It's truly something special when you read a novel that speaks to your experiences on multiple levels.
The mother's behavior was really upsetting, Machi and Socorro were the real MVP's and Pablo's arc showed that people can get back on their feet even when they make mistakes. As someone who loves reading super long multigenerational stories I would've loved getting deeper into the timeline of the characters, maybe see more of what Pablo went through. But overall I enjoyed the book a great deal.