darkcornerofthelibrary's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
danicapage's review against another edition
I often have a hard time rating memoirs. This is no different.
So glad I read this one. We need more books by Indigenous women.
Warnings: suicidal ideation, child abuse/neglect, alcoholism, abuse , strong language
So glad I read this one. We need more books by Indigenous women.
Warnings: suicidal ideation, child abuse/neglect, alcoholism, abuse , strong language
clarkf87's review against another edition
5.0
“Heart Berries” by Terese Marie Mailhot
“Maybe it was 100 years of work for my name to arrive here, where I can name my pain so well that people are afraid of the consequences and power.”
‼️‼️‼️
No filters welcome here! In this powerful and unapologetic memoir, the author travels through her pain to discover underlying shame. Mailhot is an indigenous woman from the Seaside Island Indian Reservation who clearly captures what it’s like to see through her ancestry and carry the weight of trauma in such an authentic way it can be frightening and uncomfortable to readers. As she states in her Q&A at the end of the book, she does not write to justify her actions, but to show the result of unhealed trauma through the lens of an authentically damaged and beautiful human being.
The concise, poetic writing and Q&A alone make this memoir worth the read. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
QUOTES:
“I was the third generation of the things we didn’t talk about.”
“In my first writing classes, my professor told me that the human condition was misery. I’m a river widened by misery, and the potency of my language is more than human. It’s an Indian condition to be proud of survival but reluctant to call it resilience.”
“You told me you loved me. I believed. After seeing how familiar you were with her that your love was a slimy reproduction.”
“Crafting truth to be as bare as it feels was important.”
“Maybe it was 100 years of work for my name to arrive here, where I can name my pain so well that people are afraid of the consequences and power.”
‼️‼️‼️
No filters welcome here! In this powerful and unapologetic memoir, the author travels through her pain to discover underlying shame. Mailhot is an indigenous woman from the Seaside Island Indian Reservation who clearly captures what it’s like to see through her ancestry and carry the weight of trauma in such an authentic way it can be frightening and uncomfortable to readers. As she states in her Q&A at the end of the book, she does not write to justify her actions, but to show the result of unhealed trauma through the lens of an authentically damaged and beautiful human being.
The concise, poetic writing and Q&A alone make this memoir worth the read. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
QUOTES:
“I was the third generation of the things we didn’t talk about.”
“In my first writing classes, my professor told me that the human condition was misery. I’m a river widened by misery, and the potency of my language is more than human. It’s an Indian condition to be proud of survival but reluctant to call it resilience.”
“You told me you loved me. I believed. After seeing how familiar you were with her that your love was a slimy reproduction.”
“Crafting truth to be as bare as it feels was important.”
kkevinhb's review against another edition
4.0
As the introduction so aptly describes, this memoir blurs lines between memoir and poetry, and effectively reflects the themes of mental health and memory that the author is exploring. Some sections become disorienting, and the switching of what point of view, especially when leaping into second person, kept my attention fixed and high, but also conveyed how personal the material is. Certainly will be revisiting down the line, as the length is so ingestible as well. So much accomplished in such a short volume.
themartinmama's review against another edition
4.0
One of the hardest and saddest memoirs I have ever read. At first her writing seems so simple but then you realize what weight it punches with and the generational pain she carries with every step and decision. I will be holding this one with me a long time. It is a very short book but I had to read chapter by chapter because it is so heavy.
emmaghanem's review against another edition
5.0
An extremely hard-hitting memoir about what it’s like to grow up as an indigenous woman. I think this is a very important novel to read for the understanding of the struggles indigenous women face at the hands of men, society, and life. Fantastically written
juanitamfm's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve always wished I was better at articulating exactly how I feel and I love the way Terese Mailhot so ably captures all her feelings! This story was so deep and real and raw.