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titalindaslibrary 's review for:
And Then She Fell
by Alicia Elliott
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Vibes: a mindfuck of a book exploring the horrors of motherhood, postpartum depression, and the lasting violence of colonialism.
The opening scene of this book sets the tone for what's to come, but I truly did not anticipate where this novel took me. Our protagonist, Alice, is 13 in the prelude. While babysitting one night she has a bizarre encounter with Pocahontas. Yes, via the Disney movie playing on the tv. Turns out her real name is Matoaka and the fairytale version Alice has been shown all her life is not real.
By chapter 1, Alice is now an adult, a new mother, and married to a social-climbing academic - a white man who is studying her own Mohawk culture. She's left the rez behind but is struggling to adapt to her posh Toronto neighborhood while attempting to find connection with her newborn, Dawn. Alice feels as if her husband and child resent her and is trying to cope with the loss of her own mother, so it's with growing despair that she starts hearing voices warning her to get out. The only question is, are they trying to protect her or harm her?
This book genuinely had me stressed by the heartbreaking internal dialogue of Alice. We get front row seats to her deteriorating mental health. The anxiety, isolation, and historical and ongoing violence of what's been done to her Mohawk community all come to a head in young Alice's mind. Who can she turn to?
And Then She Fell is a dizzying and striking look at identity, what we piece together from our traditions, ancestors, and how we carry on with what's left. It is an examination of the power of storytelling, how we decide what parts of stories should be told, and the way language can both empower and ensnare us for generations.
The opening scene of this book sets the tone for what's to come, but I truly did not anticipate where this novel took me. Our protagonist, Alice, is 13 in the prelude. While babysitting one night she has a bizarre encounter with Pocahontas. Yes, via the Disney movie playing on the tv. Turns out her real name is Matoaka and the fairytale version Alice has been shown all her life is not real.
By chapter 1, Alice is now an adult, a new mother, and married to a social-climbing academic - a white man who is studying her own Mohawk culture. She's left the rez behind but is struggling to adapt to her posh Toronto neighborhood while attempting to find connection with her newborn, Dawn. Alice feels as if her husband and child resent her and is trying to cope with the loss of her own mother, so it's with growing despair that she starts hearing voices warning her to get out. The only question is, are they trying to protect her or harm her?
This book genuinely had me stressed by the heartbreaking internal dialogue of Alice. We get front row seats to her deteriorating mental health. The anxiety, isolation, and historical and ongoing violence of what's been done to her Mohawk community all come to a head in young Alice's mind. Who can she turn to?
And Then She Fell is a dizzying and striking look at identity, what we piece together from our traditions, ancestors, and how we carry on with what's left. It is an examination of the power of storytelling, how we decide what parts of stories should be told, and the way language can both empower and ensnare us for generations.