cristallion's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Couldn't put it down. Beautiful writing, very emotional, sad but hopeful.
felixsanchez's review
5.0
The writing in this book is astonishing - it is so emotional yet not sentimental - as the re-telling of her childhood & adolescence read like fiction. The story flowed so utterly fluidly, everything felt visceral and real and yet personal and certainly from Cole's own perspective.
Cole employed universal themes, but the minutiae in combination is really what made this book special - and, really, it's beyond special.
Cole lays everything bare and available for consumption, and it's so impressive. The ability to succinctly, yet detailed and eruditely transcribe ones thoughts, let alone ones experiences, leaves a select few - Cole is one.
She orientates the story in a particular way, and that atmosphere carries through the entire piece, without spoiling it - in fact, I think it's the best way of gaining empathy and attention from readers. This book captured my attention so intensely that I read it within a matter of hours.
Cole employed universal themes, but the minutiae in combination is really what made this book special - and, really, it's beyond special.
Cole lays everything bare and available for consumption, and it's so impressive. The ability to succinctly, yet detailed and eruditely transcribe ones thoughts, let alone ones experiences, leaves a select few - Cole is one.
She orientates the story in a particular way, and that atmosphere carries through the entire piece, without spoiling it - in fact, I think it's the best way of gaining empathy and attention from readers. This book captured my attention so intensely that I read it within a matter of hours.
kabe's review
5.0
I heard Jessie being interviewed on the radio and had to read her memoir. Jessie shares the highs and lows of her very unconventional childhood growing up in a rainforest in remote New South Wales. Heart wrenching, beautiful and thought provoking.
kateharrisontas's review
5.0
Heartbreakingly beautiful. I read it over two days, hardly able to put it down but needing small breaks to really take in the story and process the grief experienced by the author and her loved ones.
ellelouisea's review
3.0
This was a beautiful exploration of grief and loss, but it took me an inordinately long time to read it as it failed to hold my attention at times.
bookedandborrowed's review
5.0
Such a beautiful memoir, with perfect pacing and luminous prose. What stood out to me the most was the lack of anger: such tenderness and compassion on every page.
littleredwrites's review
5.0
It’s only taken two sittings to read this beautiful and heartbreaking book. I’ve loved Jessie’s writing since I had the privilege of working on both of her fiction books, and with this memoir, I can confirm I’ll continue to be one of the first people to line up to buy everything she writes. The writing is rich and evocative and as a reader, it feels like you’ve been invited into Jessie’s home, childhood, and her family with its joy and and sadness. It’s been the perfect book to curl up with on this rainy Easter long weekend.
rynkem's review
5.0
A mesmerising memoir. Jessie's story is so reminiscent of decades past but with themes which are relevant to any time or place. So engaging, and heart rending at times, and so beautifully written. The 4 (otherwise busy) days in which I managed to read this book is an indication of its "unputdownableness". Very highly recommend. Thankyou Jessie Cole for sharing your story. 🙏🌈
gisellenguyen's review
5.0
An incredibly generous memoir that illuminates the difficulty and strange contradictions of grief, loss and survival. Cole’s prose is lovely and affecting, and I felt like I was with her throughout the whole journey. Highly recommend.
wtb_michael's review
4.0
I tore through this in a day - it's a beautiful and utterly heart-breaking memoir about loss, family, grief and (eventually) recovery. Cole is a gorgeous writer and rakes over the incredibly difficult family life she's had in way that doesn't feel self-indulgent or unnecessary - it's powerful and revelatory in parts. Definitely one to read, but not if you're already feeling down - it's pretty grim.