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katharina90's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
The kind of memoir only Joy Harjo could write. A beautiful blend of prose and poetry, of memories and teachings.
Some anecdotes were more interesting than others, but overall it was an insightful and moving collection.
Some anecdotes were more interesting than others, but overall it was an insightful and moving collection.
"My failures have been my most exacting teachers. They are all linked by one central characteristic, and that is the failure to properly regard the voice of inner truth."
“We are all here to serve each other. At some point we have to understand that we do not need to carry a story that is unbearable. We can observe the story, which is mental; feel the story, which is physical; let the story go, which is emotional; then forgive the story, which is spiritual, after which we use the materials of it to build a house of knowledge.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, and Colonisation
steveatwaywords's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Mixed genre memoir which leans heavily on cultural telling--that's what made this unique and memorable/significant. If you are looking for a traditionally-written memoir, though, abandon your expectations. Harjo foregrounds her experiences which motivate her writing, her psychological processes, her own emotional/spiritual awakenings, and the "events" which created these are seen only translucently behind, without detail. That she like so many writers struggles is clear; that she like too few has found a reconciliation for her creativity is inspiring.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse
katrinadalythompson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
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