A review by erickaonpaper
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

dark informative sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

following my last read, i flipped through this book quickly, despite its darker themes. i think dolen's fictionalization of the horrific story of the relf sisters' and the government's non-consenting sterilization of poor, Black and brown, and disabled communities was dealt with an emotional hand. viewing this story through the lens of the actual real life event might be a little unfair: perkins-valdez herself claims in her author's note that while she didn't have the nurse's real life accounts of the events, she wrote this from the perspective of a nurse with her own burgeoning emotional life. although i could have done without all the smaller side stories, i think this story makes for a great read for those first educating themselves on the complex relationship between the government, medicine, and black/brown/poor/disabled lives. 
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