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A review by raelin
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
What a great book.
This book covers so many categories, since each chapter is written almost as a stand alone essay then grouped together to make one book that does tie every chapter together into a cohesive work. It is masterfully done.
All people represented in this work are dimensional humans, with several different facets. Her mother isn’t just a bipolar religious fanatic. Her father isn’t just an alcoholic abuser. They are also caring, loving, supportive parents. This is how real people are, but not often how people are captured in the written word. The beautiful contradictions that fill our relationships with people are so accurately described.
This book is so much more than memoir. It is also history, inspires self reflection (by directly asking the reader to answer hard questions about their perspective), insight into the writing process, commentary on social media, self persecution, and so much more.
A definite must read for everyone that can handle the content warnings.
This book covers so many categories, since each chapter is written almost as a stand alone essay then grouped together to make one book that does tie every chapter together into a cohesive work. It is masterfully done.
All people represented in this work are dimensional humans, with several different facets. Her mother isn’t just a bipolar religious fanatic. Her father isn’t just an alcoholic abuser. They are also caring, loving, supportive parents. This is how real people are, but not often how people are captured in the written word. The beautiful contradictions that fill our relationships with people are so accurately described.
This book is so much more than memoir. It is also history, inspires self reflection (by directly asking the reader to answer hard questions about their perspective), insight into the writing process, commentary on social media, self persecution, and so much more.
A definite must read for everyone that can handle the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual assault, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse