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crownoid's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
5.0
girlglitch's review against another edition
5.0
Landbridge is a powerful memoir of refugee experience by Y-Dang Troeung, whose family were 'the last' Cambodian refugees granted asylum into Canada.
This creative, non-linear personal history is split into fragments, interspersed with art, photography and newspaper cuttings. As well as recounting her own life and experience - including her academic career, her son's birth and illness and her own, fatal cancer diagnosis - Troeung explores the wider Cambodian and East Asian history, questioning who has the agency to tell stories of collective trauma, genocide and conflict? Troeung raises thought-provoking questions and relates the stories of her birth country with care and sensitivity.
Landbridge is a brave and beautiful memoir that captures the heartbreaking reality of refugee experience in all its complexity.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
This creative, non-linear personal history is split into fragments, interspersed with art, photography and newspaper cuttings. As well as recounting her own life and experience - including her academic career, her son's birth and illness and her own, fatal cancer diagnosis - Troeung explores the wider Cambodian and East Asian history, questioning who has the agency to tell stories of collective trauma, genocide and conflict? Troeung raises thought-provoking questions and relates the stories of her birth country with care and sensitivity.
Landbridge is a brave and beautiful memoir that captures the heartbreaking reality of refugee experience in all its complexity.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
caillahess's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide and War
Moderate: Terminal illness
lilyreads01's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Violence, and War
fourfootedbeasts's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
jackiedrinkscoffee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
alexutzu's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and everyone that contributed to the existence of this book for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
This was a shattering book that brought tears to my eyes multiple times. It was also a beautifully written account of a tragic story that many refugees have to go through. The journal-like structure, build upon entries represented by fragments of history, sayings and stories, letters to her son and images, creates a complete perspective on the life of the author blending with the horrors of the past. I liked how the book started with explaining the title through a definition, while towards the end it came back to it again through a story, like a cycle. I also felt that the poetic style brought even more depth to it.
I felt that going through a terrible illness and writing something like this for the close ones is an emotional, but wholesome and brave gift to leave behind, a chance to pour everything out. Hope that the author will rest in peace, she seemed to have amazing book ideas that I would have liked to check out if she got to write them.
I would like to wrap up the review with a quote from the book that I really appreciated because of its meaning. I feel that it is a beautiful manner to describe the way in which different people can connect and provide help and support in times of need, teaching us to always be considerate to each other:
This was a shattering book that brought tears to my eyes multiple times. It was also a beautifully written account of a tragic story that many refugees have to go through. The journal-like structure, build upon entries represented by fragments of history, sayings and stories, letters to her son and images, creates a complete perspective on the life of the author blending with the horrors of the past. I liked how the book started with explaining the title through a definition, while towards the end it came back to it again through a story, like a cycle. I also felt that the poetic style brought even more depth to it.
I felt that going through a terrible illness and writing something like this for the close ones is an emotional, but wholesome and brave gift to leave behind, a chance to pour everything out. Hope that the author will rest in peace, she seemed to have amazing book ideas that I would have liked to check out if she got to write them.
I would like to wrap up the review with a quote from the book that I really appreciated because of its meaning. I feel that it is a beautiful manner to describe the way in which different people can connect and provide help and support in times of need, teaching us to always be considerate to each other:
"With only our bodies and our hearts, we build a bridge."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide and War
Moderate: Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence