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A review by bound4travel
The Education of Augie Merasty: A Residential School Memoir by Joseph Auguste Merasty
4.0
Short but powerful, The Educational of Angie Merasty consists of letters written to Merasty's editor in which Merasty recounts the horrific years he spent in residential school. This memoir was very short, but that didn't limit the impact in any way. Merasty, in simple and straightforward terms, places before us the traumas he endured at the hands of the individuals he was forced to interact while separated from his family. Beyond the primary trauma of being removed from your family and culture, Merasty endures abuse, witnesses the abuse of others, and clearly depicts the hopelessness that takes one over when there is no escape from your trauma. It is incredibly moving and incredibly sad, and so very important for us to read and inform ourselves about in the hope that we prevent history from ever repeating itself.
I did dock one point, as I didn't particularly connect with the introduction and conclusion written by Merasty's editor. He seemed to focus on the details of tracking Merasty down and getting information from him. Although he did provide some updates on Merasty's current life situation and how trauma has impacted him long term, I felt like the introduction and conclusion served primarily to remind us of how much work the editor put in to having this memoir come together and, in my opinion, that takes away from the true point of this book.
I did dock one point, as I didn't particularly connect with the introduction and conclusion written by Merasty's editor. He seemed to focus on the details of tracking Merasty down and getting information from him. Although he did provide some updates on Merasty's current life situation and how trauma has impacted him long term, I felt like the introduction and conclusion served primarily to remind us of how much work the editor put in to having this memoir come together and, in my opinion, that takes away from the true point of this book.