A review by smalltownbookmom
Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging by Tessa McWatt

4.0

Enjoyed this one a lot! First the cover is gorgeous and I loved that the author is Canadian but has such a mixed ethnic background (as so many people do these days). One of the questions she addresses most in life and this book is what (or who) am I? Something we all struggle with but for someone of mixed race ancestry there are definitely extra layers. Not feeling like she belonged anywhere was a big part of her life > she traces her family’s history and takes a 23 and me DNA test trying to get some answers but ultimately finds race is both real and a construction. I liked how she divided the book into sections focusing on different features (hair, eyes, lips, skin, DNA, etc) and all the ways those things were issues for her growing up. Also really enjoyed that she turned to books for many of her answers > her love of literature shines through in these pages. Love that she has a Guelph connection too > her Veterinarian father trained at the OVC (but had to board and work on farms because no one would take a Black boarder in the city!). Very smartly written and I highly recommend it.