I really wanted to fall in love with Danticat's writing, but to be honest, I struggled to connect with the writing style. I found myself trying to skim and had to force myself to slow down with the reading. It felt almost too simplistic and basic in style, which I don't know if that's her usual style or if it was different for nonfiction. It did get easier later in the story, but I never quite relaxed into her writing the way I like to.

I also struggled with how many different story threads she covered. Her father's life, uncle's life, and her own life were all included, with brief scenes over decades to tell the story. The second part was much slowed down and I did find that easier. It was a very sparse storytelling style. Not the writing itself, but it felt like she included scenes only out necessity and not to set the scene or illustrate what life was like. I found myself wishing for a little more, if it had been slowed down or more descriptive. It was a lot for a rather short book.

But I did enjoy reading it. It was emotional, and I wanted to learn more about her and her family. It was an important story to tell, of her uncle's death while in American custody, and of how most of her family were eventually forced to leave Haiti. I would recommend it, but I don't think it's a story I quite fell in love with. I do want to try something else she's written, to see if maybe that's easier after having read this book first.

Overall, I think this book felt a little aimless to me, and I felt aimless as a reader. I'd still recommend it because I think it was worthwhile, just not the book for me, and I'll definitely read more of her work in the future.