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A review by carolinethereader
Shame On Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging by Tessa McWatt
5.0
A teacher singles out eight year old Tessa McWatt with the question "what are you?" The class has just been asked if they know what 'Negro' means and a young boy turned to point at Tessa. Tessa feels ashamed and embarrassed but doesn't understand why. How can something as complex as family history be condensed to a one-word answer?
Shame on Me is such a fascinating reflection on race, belonging and identity. It is deeply personal- part memoir and part examination of racial issues. The chapter headings are human anatomy based and are used as a way to 'dissect' race and McWatt's experiences with it. She uses personal stories and wider historical writings on slavery and movements against racism. All of this makes such an interesting book that I loved reading. She writes wonderfully and combines her stories with her reflections and observations on racial identity effortlessly. I'd love to come back to this another time because it really was enjoyable.
Shame on Me is such a fascinating reflection on race, belonging and identity. It is deeply personal- part memoir and part examination of racial issues. The chapter headings are human anatomy based and are used as a way to 'dissect' race and McWatt's experiences with it. She uses personal stories and wider historical writings on slavery and movements against racism. All of this makes such an interesting book that I loved reading. She writes wonderfully and combines her stories with her reflections and observations on racial identity effortlessly. I'd love to come back to this another time because it really was enjoyable.