saralynnburnett's review against another edition
4.0
I always find it interesting to read an author's debut after I'm already familiar with their latest works and honestly, Danticat can do no wrong, at least in my eyes, which is why this edition of Breath, Eyes, Memory was so great (20th anniversary edition) because it had a retrospective at the end and an interview with the author. Here you'll find fascinating insights into what it's like for authors to reread their earliest works, what this book meant to the Haitian community, and what sort of feedback the author got on it from them (it wasn't great).
I think that there is an unfair "responsibility" that authors writing from underrepresented communities have to carry: to somehow "get it right" / make everyone happy, even though what the community whats to hear and see themselves on the page as might not be the story that the author wants to tell. I have a lot of thoughts on that but they're very muddled at the moment!
Highly recommend this novel. It is one that will stay with you.
I think that there is an unfair "responsibility" that authors writing from underrepresented communities have to carry: to somehow "get it right" / make everyone happy, even though what the community whats to hear and see themselves on the page as might not be the story that the author wants to tell. I have a lot of thoughts on that but they're very muddled at the moment!
Highly recommend this novel. It is one that will stay with you.
sabinasolorzano's review
challenging
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
bbqrplanting's review
5.0
“She told me about a group of people in Guinea who carry the sky on their heads. They are the people of Creation. Strong, tall, and mighty people who can bear anything. Their Maker, she said, gives them the sky to carry because they are strong. These people do not know who they are, but if you see a lot of trouble in your life, it is because you were chosen to carry part of the sky on your head.”
“Tante Atie once said that love is like rain. It comes in a drizzle sometimes. Then it starts pouring and if you’re not careful it will drown you.”
“There is always a place where women live near trees that, blowing in the wind, sound like music. These women tell stories to their children both to frighten and delight them. These women, they are fluttering lanterns on the hills, the fireflies in the night, the faces that loom over you and recreate the same unspeakable acts that they themselves lived through. There is always a place where nightmares are passed on through generations like heirlooms. Where women like cardinal birds return to look at their own faces in stagnant bodies of water.
I come from a place where breath, eyes and memory are one, a place from which you carry your past like the hair on your head. Where women return to their children as butterflies or as tears in the eyes of the statues that their daughters pray to. My mother was as brave as stars at dawn. She too was from this place. My mother was like that woman who could never bleed and then could never stop bleeding, the one who gave in to her pain, to live as a butterfly. Yes, my mother was like me.”
“Tante Atie once said that love is like rain. It comes in a drizzle sometimes. Then it starts pouring and if you’re not careful it will drown you.”
“There is always a place where women live near trees that, blowing in the wind, sound like music. These women tell stories to their children both to frighten and delight them. These women, they are fluttering lanterns on the hills, the fireflies in the night, the faces that loom over you and recreate the same unspeakable acts that they themselves lived through. There is always a place where nightmares are passed on through generations like heirlooms. Where women like cardinal birds return to look at their own faces in stagnant bodies of water.
I come from a place where breath, eyes and memory are one, a place from which you carry your past like the hair on your head. Where women return to their children as butterflies or as tears in the eyes of the statues that their daughters pray to. My mother was as brave as stars at dawn. She too was from this place. My mother was like that woman who could never bleed and then could never stop bleeding, the one who gave in to her pain, to live as a butterfly. Yes, my mother was like me.”
queenshrike's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I had to read this for a college course years ago. And I always meant to come back and read it again for myself. I've done that now, settled that in myself.
This book is still so touching and so painful, even after all these years. I can't say I love it. But I felt it.
This book is still so touching and so painful, even after all these years. I can't say I love it. But I felt it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Blood, Self harm, Pregnancy, Grief, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
dreavg's review
3.0
My parents did it and I turned out okay. This statement will haunt the reader after this book. This book is an opportunity to explore another culture, to explore your reaction to another culture's practices. This story is about a Haitian family and how a mother effects a child just by following a cultural tradition. How a tragic event can have lasting effects.
charadreemurr18a39's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ellenl's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
librovert's review
2.0
Sophie has grown up with her aunt in an impoverished village in Haiti. When she is twelve, her mother summons her to America, forced to "live the american dream" while still subjecting her to questionable Haitian customs that have been passed down through generations of her family.
The story jumps quite a bit from one part to the next. Sophie aged from 12 to 18 in the turn of a page, and at a second transition from daughter to mother.
The moments of political violence, used to illustrate the political uprisings in Haiti, were detached from the overarching theme of the story. Although I understand the desire of the author to illustrate these points of Haitian society, I feel as though more effort could have been made to weave them better into the storyline.
I also felt the book was lacking some feeling. It could be that much of the Haitian symbolism was lost on me, being unfamiliar with their cultures, but I was not able to connect with the characters. The author seemed to tell, rather than show, the emotions of the characters, which made it difficult to understand where they were coming from.
The story jumps quite a bit from one part to the next. Sophie aged from 12 to 18 in the turn of a page, and at a second transition from daughter to mother.
The moments of political violence, used to illustrate the political uprisings in Haiti, were detached from the overarching theme of the story. Although I understand the desire of the author to illustrate these points of Haitian society, I feel as though more effort could have been made to weave them better into the storyline.
I also felt the book was lacking some feeling. It could be that much of the Haitian symbolism was lost on me, being unfamiliar with their cultures, but I was not able to connect with the characters. The author seemed to tell, rather than show, the emotions of the characters, which made it difficult to understand where they were coming from.
bookish_by_elle's review
4.0
Breath, Eyes, Memory was a difficult read for me because I am always so affected by trauma books, especially sexual trauma, and especially female trauma (all trauma is bad, but those are my personal triggers). The story follows the life of Sophie and her relationship with the people around her: her aunt and grandmother, who raise Sophie when her mother migrates to New York; her mother, who Sophie only begins to develop a relationship with well into her childhood years; her husband, who seemingly earnestly tries to understand Sophie and her trauma but does not quite get it.
This book had a lot of moving parts and touched on several themes (rape, parental control of adult children's sexuality, religious beliefs, death) within its 234 pages. However, the story being told was coherent and relevant, and there was barely a moment while reading that I did not want to know what came next. So much of this book felt like a real story to me and I am happy that Edwidge Danticat tackled some of these very difficult topics to discuss. One thing that resonated with me is the idea that trauma can easily be passed on from generation to generation but the cycle of trauma could equally be broken.
In my opinion, there was no beautiful ending for this book and a beautiful ending would have been unreal but the book does end on a hopeful note. I finished this book with a sense of hope that people who experience trauma can begin to heal and can ensure that they do not continue cycles of trauma with their offspring.
This book had a lot of moving parts and touched on several themes (rape, parental control of adult children's sexuality, religious beliefs, death) within its 234 pages. However, the story being told was coherent and relevant, and there was barely a moment while reading that I did not want to know what came next. So much of this book felt like a real story to me and I am happy that Edwidge Danticat tackled some of these very difficult topics to discuss. One thing that resonated with me is the idea that trauma can easily be passed on from generation to generation but the cycle of trauma could equally be broken.
In my opinion, there was no beautiful ending for this book and a beautiful ending would have been unreal but the book does end on a hopeful note. I finished this book with a sense of hope that people who experience trauma can begin to heal and can ensure that they do not continue cycles of trauma with their offspring.
debbieinlondon's review
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0