This book took me a bit to get into because the voice felt like it wasn’t making much sense compared to what was being described. Eventually, that makes total sense, as you come to know all the characters and the narrator, so if you’re having trouble at the start, know that.

As you might expect from the subject matter, it’s also quite heavy sometimes. Particularly with sexual assault. It’s not described too in detail but it’s not off-screen and the violation of it is thematically present throughout and described as it occurs, though fairly short.

From what I know of the American Dirt fiasco, this feels like a book that will be in a dialogue with it; and I think it can easily handle its own if it is put in that box.

It made me think of my own relationship to travel and family. The narrator was particular clever for choosing how to convey the story; though it is at the expense of a more personal story. But I feel like those stories are becoming something of a standard. Marginalized people having to splay themselves open in graphic detail in order to make the mainstream give a damn about them, or any stories they might have, and almost policing the acceptability of the story, too.

There is some narrative distance from everyone, but it’s still personal because it’s basically an oral history. The emotion of the storyteller is contextualized by family members and becomes a generational intellect. It’s heartbreaking without making the characters gut themselves for the audience. I think it’s very smart.

Prose wise it is fairly straight forward and the narrator handles it well. It is not a descriptive writing piece and it feels accessible without being too much like commercial fiction. It’s short and punchy, and the ending is well suited to the story. Worth a read!