A review by jaclyncrupi
Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down

5.0

Down’s central question here is how much pain, abuse and trauma can one person endure? And perhaps also how do hurt people hurt people, themselves most of all? Questions posed by some of my most favourite books of the past 10 years: A Little Life, Did You Ever Have a Family?, Idaho and Imagine me Gone. Consider this added to that list (probably the highest compliment I can offer a book). Down uses the arrival of a Facebook message to propel the narrative back to Maggie’s childhood where we see her abused by people she should, in theory, have been able to trust, and a system that completely fails to protect her. The kindnesses she does receive offer brief respite. It’s too much for a child to bear but Maggie somehow grows into adulthood. And of course her pain and trauma come with her. But this is not a brutal punishing book to read. We see joy, love and connection amongst the pain and trauma. The structure means that from the outset Down positions the reader with a question mark about the death of Maggie’s baby. But we are bound to Maggie and I found myself, uncomfortably, wanting her to escape punishment, whether she had anything to do with her babies’ deaths or not. Such clever narrative tension from a master storyteller. I dreamt of Maggie, I agonised about her, I fretted. And that’s all because Down is such a damn fine writer. This book is in interesting conversation with Stranger Care by Sarah Sentilles, a memoir of her experience fostering baby Coco. Maggie and Coco are bound by the same flawed systems, systems that failed and endangered them. Down has taken risks with each successive book she has written and this was a huge leap. That she pulled it off so spectacularly shows what a huge talent she is. But I always admire the leap regardless. It’s a beautiful thing to behold.