Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid

8 reviews

kaylakuohn's review

I am very interested in the subject, but this book was confusing and hard to read. The chapter structure was very confusing; there are so many written out facts and stats when it would’ve been easier/more understandable to read tables & figures; and it doesn’t feel like there’s an overall/overarching message or purpose of the book (not that there needs to be, but I feel like it’s trying to have one)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

amarj33t_5ingh's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

It feels disrespectful giving such a tragedy-laden book a rating, but I believe that the overall comprehensiveness of this book is deserving of recognition. Particularly for the poignant subject it deals with.

Highway 16 intersects British Columbia often acting as the sole route between its widely sparsed indigenous communities lacking access to essentials that are found in neighboring Vancouver. Compounding this further is the seemingly placid wilderness abutting the region.

But this serene setting is the historic witness of indigenous oppression, the trauma of which has been inherited by current generations. From the 1950's onwards, the region has become a hunting ground as well as a dumping ground for transient serial killers preying upon indigenous native women compelled to hitchhike or travel alone across highway 16. 

McDiarmid not only lays bare the discrepancy with which indigenous murder victims and their white counterparts are treated but also a multigenerational culture of police and political apathy that has signaled to predators that the indigenous women of highway 16 are fair prey.

This is a tragic book. It is seemingly the most comprehensive and lucid account of the tragedy unfolding on the highway hitherto despite the first cases being reported from the 1950's, but also because it underscores the racial prejudice with which cases are treated and families sidelined by the authorities.

To her credit, McDiarmid also incorporates several interviews with lead investigators highlighting their frustration with their superiors at the lack of resources allocated to them and the inability of government agencies to actually achieve practical on-the-ground results despite regurgitative pledges. 

McDiarmid ends on a cautious note showcasing political promises pledging change. But will change ever truly emerge? As of 2023, another slain female victim has been located on the highway. The tragedy continues unfolding. Highway 16 bisects British Columbia from the wilderness, but it may as well bisect its indigenous residents from the rest of the world for all the care they have ever been shown.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Blood, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment

alexandrias_library's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Homophobia and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, and Rape

rdorrington's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

whatannikareads's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.75

such an important book that humanizes these victims rather than letting them fall victim to forgotten history. i was tearing up at some points because my heart hurt at how these indigenous GIRLS--yes mostly teenage girls--were treated before and after their murders/disappearances. how shameful that this continues to be something that these families are fighting to get recognized, and that indigenous women are still going missing at higher rates than average. mcdiarmid reports both sides of the story, from the families as well as law enforcement. as a journalist, she sticks to her duty and highlights all aspects of the story (that can be tracked down). i only vaguely knew about this genocide beforehand, and so i'm glad i picked this up and am able to put names to faces--not just know their tragedies, but also their personalities and how much they meant to the people around them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

emmehooks's review

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

4.5

I struggled to keep up with all of the names and places at times, but the author did a wonderful job highlighting the humanity of missing women and girls, the neglect and discrimination by police, and the inclusion of photos and maps was helpful.  Well written prose was easy to read and engaging 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Trafficking, and Abandonment

atsundarsingh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced

4.25

Compelling writing about one of Canada's most shameful contemporary issues regarding the treatment of Indigenous people and Indigenous women specifically. A call to arms, but in the manner of emphasizing the inhumane nature of ignoring this issue and failing to deal with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, Abandonment, and Colonisation

haylethal's review

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism