A review by starrysteph
My Life: Growing Up Native in America by IllumiNative

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

My Life: Growing Up Native in America features 20 essays & poems from Native American writers.

I really appreciated this collection – the diversity of both voices and forms of storytelling kept me engaged, even though (as with all anthologies) there were some pieces that clicked with me more than others.

Some are reflections, some are calls to action, some are expressions of pain and love, and some are pretty darn funny. Each person has a vastly different history and a vastly different relationship to their Indigenous identity.

I wasn’t familiar with most of these voices and I’m super curious about some of their brands & community endeavors! I definitely have a lot to look up.

CW: mentions of racism, residential schools, war, genocide, forced institutionalization, bullying, death of loved ones.

Follow me on social media for book recommendations!

(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)