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A review by sian_m
Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
4.0
This book made me feel so sad. It’s filled with trauma that no one should have to go through. It is very well written, but I struggled to enjoy it as much as I wanted to, purely because of the abuse that Ruth was being subjected to and the total denial of Ruth’ mother, refusing to acknowledge that something just wasn’t right, even though it’d been noticed and communicated by others. The selfishness of these adults is sickening. This made me incredibly mad and uncomfortable.
Ruth shows signs of disconnection from herself due to her traumas, clearly done for survival purposes. Respect to Ruth for her determination, strength and tenacity to get through it all.
This is a raw, honest book. It doesn’t hold back from potentially making the readers uncomfortable. If that’s the emotional response that’s stirred, so be it, there’s no hiding from the truth. This book moved me to tears and as painful as this was, I am so glad that I’ve read it.
Quote from the end of the book which I had to pause and reflect upon: ‘Shame comes with denial, fear fattens on lies.’
Ruth shows signs of disconnection from herself due to her traumas, clearly done for survival purposes. Respect to Ruth for her determination, strength and tenacity to get through it all.
This is a raw, honest book. It doesn’t hold back from potentially making the readers uncomfortable. If that’s the emotional response that’s stirred, so be it, there’s no hiding from the truth. This book moved me to tears and as painful as this was, I am so glad that I’ve read it.
Quote from the end of the book which I had to pause and reflect upon: ‘Shame comes with denial, fear fattens on lies.’