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sadhbhprice's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Sexual content, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Cancer and Miscarriage
birdsandships's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
not_another_ana's review
4.25
This is a female text, written in the twenty-first century. How late it is. How much has changed. How little.
This is difficult to describe in an easy accessible way. Think of a long form Youtube essay, the kind that lasts 3 hours, the kind that revolves around a topic so specific, so niche that can only be made interesting in the hands of a person plagued by the subject. I say this as a positive but also as the only way I feel I can capture the obsession and care you can pick up from these pages. Doireann Ní Ghríofa first heard of Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill as a child growing up in Ireland, and though the years grew consumed not only by her poem, Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire, but by Eibhlín herself. In this book the author masterfully merges her obsession and what she discovered of this woman with her own life, her beliefs, her fears, and big events that marked her.
As the author mentions time and time again: This is a female text. The inciting incident is the near loss of a baby by Doireann and her need for retaking control in some way of her life and her routine. It's powerful and defiant but still intimate. The author unspools her life for all to see, just as she scrutinizes histoy for morsels of Eibhlín. It's so lyricial and full of rhythm, in a way only a poet could weave, that at points I felt hypnotized. I grew as obsessed with this long death Irish woman as the author did.
Since it was so intimate and personal I was able to understand while not actually relating to the author's struggles. Even the long sections about breastfeeding weren't a chore because of how honest they were told. I do, however, think that it could have been a bit shorter. It was difficult to mantain the whimsy and interest at some points because of the repetition. Even though it wasn't perfect in my eyes I don't believe I will ever stop thinking about it. Every time I put down my thoughts, like in this review, I will be haunted by the idea of it being a female text.
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage and Sexism
Minor: Animal death
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
maddiep333's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
feralbookwife's review against another edition
3.75
CW: animal death, pregnancy, birth trauma, murder, violence, sexism, mental health, autopsy
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Car accident, and Colonisation
hanz's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, and Murder
aisclaradm's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
lifeinsherds's review against another edition
5.0
Part memoir, part historical fiction, this book stunned me with every chapter. There is not one thing I would have wanted different from this book. And this is the author's prose debut!
Graphic: Grief and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cancer and Child death
Minor: Death, Violence, and Suicide attempt
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
5.0
If you don’t speak Irish do yourself a favour a listen to the audiobook to hear the poem read aloud in its original language. It’s lushly beautiful. Then listen to the author’s translation. It’s so powerful - the love, passion, grief and desire for revenge are so raw and palpable. Life has not yet delivered me that sort of grief and yet I felt it in my bones.
I just adored this book. It cleverly took several disparate strands, and wove them into a gorgeous tapestry using the most exquisite prose - the author is also a poet and it shows in the best way. This book is stunning, unique and all sorts of other gushy wonderful adjectives. Many thanks to @cheriebooksreadthisyear whose review put this one on my radar. I’m so glad I finally read it.
Graphic: Grief
Minor: Cancer and Suicide attempt