A review by serendipitysbooks
My Mother's House by Francesca Momplaisir

challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 My Mother’s House is very hard to characterise - part literary thriller, part realistic fiction, part horror and more than a dash of magical realism. It’s the story of a Lucien, who migrated from Haiti with his wife and daughters and establishes a home in Queens which becomes a focal point for other Haitian migrants seeking help. Which sounds fine and good except Lucien is disturbed and abusive and does some truly dark, depraved things. So much so that the house, which is a character in its own right, commits suicide by bursting into flames. The writing is compelling, and the themes are undoubtedly important - generational trauma, migration, gentrification, race, class, the legacy of colonialism, the marginalisation of Black women and more. However, the content is such that this is a very uncomfortable read, unrelentingly grim and disturbing at times, which means it is definitely not a book for every reader. 
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