Scan barcode
A review by utopiastateofmind
The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley
4.5
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: panic attack, anti-semitic comment
From the very beginning, I loved the title. Being adopted, names are a huge deal. Sometimes we get one that is given to us. That feels like a mystery. A piece of a clue we never quite get over. And sometimes we never really know. For The Name She Gave Me, Rynn's name is one that is a common theme. This idea of it telling a story that we can only begin to peek at. Featuring this story, told by an author who experienced adoption and the foster care system, The Name She Gave Me feels special.
It quickly becomes tender and emotional. And some moments feel like those times when you keep gently prodding a bruise. You know to expect the pain, but it's like, "will it still hurt today?" With lyrical language and writing - this book is in verse - it's a story about difficult family relationships. About family which we choose and which choose us. Culley explores both biological and adopted family and what they mean to us.
TW: panic attack, anti-semitic comment
From the very beginning, I loved the title. Being adopted, names are a huge deal. Sometimes we get one that is given to us. That feels like a mystery. A piece of a clue we never quite get over. And sometimes we never really know. For The Name She Gave Me, Rynn's name is one that is a common theme. This idea of it telling a story that we can only begin to peek at. Featuring this story, told by an author who experienced adoption and the foster care system, The Name She Gave Me feels special.
It quickly becomes tender and emotional. And some moments feel like those times when you keep gently prodding a bruise. You know to expect the pain, but it's like, "will it still hurt today?" With lyrical language and writing - this book is in verse - it's a story about difficult family relationships. About family which we choose and which choose us. Culley explores both biological and adopted family and what they mean to us.