Scan barcode
A review by bookishplantmom
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for review purposes.
Let me first say that I think this story is beautifully written. Or at least the part of it that I read had some lovely bits of writing in it. I went into this book expecting it to be emotional but not prepared for it to be triggering. Given the synopsis of the novel I was wholly unprepared for the level of Black trauma that would unfold. I personally would not have picked up this book to begin with had I been aware of its contents. This isn't to say there isn't a place for this story, au contraire, it is certainly important to explore these topics and tell stories of perseverance and strength among Black women. However, given my line of work and the type of information I ingest on the daily, I tend to avoid these topics in my leisurely reading for my mental health. I need space to breathe and to recover from the heaviness of my research. This is why I'm choosing no to finish this book.
Let me first say that I think this story is beautifully written. Or at least the part of it that I read had some lovely bits of writing in it. I went into this book expecting it to be emotional but not prepared for it to be triggering. Given the synopsis of the novel I was wholly unprepared for the level of Black trauma that would unfold. I personally would not have picked up this book to begin with had I been aware of its contents. This isn't to say there isn't a place for this story, au contraire, it is certainly important to explore these topics and tell stories of perseverance and strength among Black women. However, given my line of work and the type of information I ingest on the daily, I tend to avoid these topics in my leisurely reading for my mental health. I need space to breathe and to recover from the heaviness of my research. This is why I'm choosing no to finish this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Child abuse
Moderate: Racism and Police brutality