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A review by joaniemaloney
Say Her Name by Francisco Goldman
4.0
Hold her tight, if you have her; hold her tight, I thought, that's my advice to all the living. Breathe her in, put your nose in her hair, breathe her in deeply. Say her name. It will always be her name. Not even death can steal it. Same alive as dead, always Aura Estrada.
This memoir, part memoir, part love letter to a very dear wife, is at times painful to read. Francisco Goldman writes with the purpose to remember, to never forget, who Aura was, and the loss he's endured is felt on every page, every little detail heartbreakingly rendered, at times even bordering on obsessive. Tidbits of Aura's own writing and her diary entries are included as well. While I was reading this, I had the constant impulse to flip to the back flap to see the wedding picture of Aura and Francisco, as to further solidify the love they had for one another, a love that Francisco clearly feels still.
Aura is very much alive among these pages - a young woman with writing ambitions that were on the verge of coming true - despite being cheated of this life by a swimming accident during a vacation in 2005. The author takes his time narrating her life; sometimes the passages shift seamlessly into his own before he's met Aura. Through the characters in her life: Juanita, Rodrigo, Hector, Katia, Fabis...we learn of Aura's hopes, dreams, fears, insecurities, and even bits and pieces of her that Francisco has not yet been able to decipher.
It's very personal, so much at times I feel as if I shouldn't be reading about it all, but this book is a testament to how much Aura Estrada has affected the author's life. It truly is a labour of love, and the ultimate dedication to her memory. She won't ever be forgotten.
This memoir, part memoir, part love letter to a very dear wife, is at times painful to read. Francisco Goldman writes with the purpose to remember, to never forget, who Aura was, and the loss he's endured is felt on every page, every little detail heartbreakingly rendered, at times even bordering on obsessive. Tidbits of Aura's own writing and her diary entries are included as well. While I was reading this, I had the constant impulse to flip to the back flap to see the wedding picture of Aura and Francisco, as to further solidify the love they had for one another, a love that Francisco clearly feels still.
Aura is very much alive among these pages - a young woman with writing ambitions that were on the verge of coming true - despite being cheated of this life by a swimming accident during a vacation in 2005. The author takes his time narrating her life; sometimes the passages shift seamlessly into his own before he's met Aura. Through the characters in her life: Juanita, Rodrigo, Hector, Katia, Fabis...we learn of Aura's hopes, dreams, fears, insecurities, and even bits and pieces of her that Francisco has not yet been able to decipher.
It's very personal, so much at times I feel as if I shouldn't be reading about it all, but this book is a testament to how much Aura Estrada has affected the author's life. It truly is a labour of love, and the ultimate dedication to her memory. She won't ever be forgotten.