A review by trophywithabee
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, by Alicia Elliott
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was my first foray into essay collections, and I didn't realize it wasn't a straight memoir until I was about halfway through, but I still found it to be an incredibly deep-felt experience overall. The many topics addressed in Elliott's essays were often quite heavy, but combined with her eloquent prose, they created an incredibly powerful impact. I found myself continuing to ruminate on the topics of several essays long after I'd read them, particularly the one equating gentrification to the taking by white settlers of indigenous peoples' land. This book gave me new perspectives on poverty and life for present-day North American indigenous peoples, as well as specifically Canadian indigenous peoples. I have not read many works by indigenous authors, but I am working on it, and I'm grateful that I had the privilege of reading this book.
CW: sexual assault, genocide, depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, violence, racism, eating disorder, abuse
This book was my first foray into essay collections, and I didn't realize it wasn't a straight memoir until I was about halfway through, but I still found it to be an incredibly deep-felt experience overall. The many topics addressed in Elliott's essays were often quite heavy, but combined with her eloquent prose, they created an incredibly powerful impact. I found myself continuing to ruminate on the topics of several essays long after I'd read them, particularly the one equating gentrification to the taking by white settlers of indigenous peoples' land. This book gave me new perspectives on poverty and life for present-day North American indigenous peoples, as well as specifically Canadian indigenous peoples. I have not read many works by indigenous authors, but I am working on it, and I'm grateful that I had the privilege of reading this book.
CW: sexual assault, genocide, depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, violence, racism, eating disorder, abuse