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A review by rbrano
The Chronology of Water: A Memoir by Lidia Yuknavitch
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Really fantastic deep-dive into the mind of a woman who existed until she learned how to live. Deeply relatable at times, deeply harrowing at other times, in one moment downright unforgivable even with all of the context provided, and yet I walk away from the book feeling understood.
Lots of trigger warnings should be listed, but I’ll just say that if you have any deep trauma, basically anything at all save perhaps personal experience with combat and war, you should proceed with caution. Personally I found it very healing to hear about a girl whose lives experience aligns so closely with mine as a child. It helped me to be angry and scared and helpless with her. It was deeply validating, especially to watch her stumble through adulthood after all of those years without the foundation that should have been built for her as a child.
This book was inspiring without being ham-fisted, tragic without being melodramatic, heartbreaking without being hopeless, and above all, an artistic expression of a woman who should have never made it to where she did but did anyway.
Lots of trigger warnings should be listed, but I’ll just say that if you have any deep trauma, basically anything at all save perhaps personal experience with combat and war, you should proceed with caution. Personally I found it very healing to hear about a girl whose lives experience aligns so closely with mine as a child. It helped me to be angry and scared and helpless with her. It was deeply validating, especially to watch her stumble through adulthood after all of those years without the foundation that should have been built for her as a child.
This book was inspiring without being ham-fisted, tragic without being melodramatic, heartbreaking without being hopeless, and above all, an artistic expression of a woman who should have never made it to where she did but did anyway.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Child death, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Car accident, Grief, Incest, and Physical abuse