savento95's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Some great descriptive writing, but sometimes a little overblown (the adjectives, not the memory). I really appreciated reading such an honest and unflinching memoir, even if at times I questioned the reality of the specifics of how well she remembered and wondered about the role of some of anecdotes that seemingly led nowhere. I struggled with the ending, glad there was a hopeful notes but feeling like so much was left unaccounted for.
Some great descriptive writing, but sometimes a little overblown (the adjectives, not the memory). I really appreciated reading such an honest and unflinching memoir, even if at times I questioned the reality of the specifics of how well she remembered and wondered about the role of some of anecdotes that seemingly led nowhere. I struggled with the ending, glad there was a hopeful notes but feeling like so much was left unaccounted for.
jaimeloubenson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
leesuh_cowtow's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.5
This is a tough read for anyone who has experienced childhood food insecurity. Qian has a very lyrical writing style, leaving the reader to infer a lot about the inner lives of her parents throughout the story. It centers around the years where they were undocumented in the US, and I wish she delved more into the aftermath and unpacking of it. The lart chapter is a sprint through her adulthood, I would have liked to see how her life in Canada further contrasted against her Chinese and American lives. Particularly as she focused on her mother's journey throughout the memoir. It's easy to forget the political context of their move, especially when you see the glaring mysogyny of the father. A tough family dynamic between all involved, and a family struggling to find safe haven.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Medical content
joannaclement's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
rrickman33's review against another edition
3.0
This book was beautifully written but it kind of felt like someone else wrote it. There wasn’t a lot of emotion in it, more just a retelling of everything that happened. So I wasn’t super invested in it even though I really wanted to be. Definitely recommend if it sounds interesting to you though, so many others were emotionally connected to it so may just not have worked for me.