A heart-wrenching and vulnerable memoir, "Docile" is Hyeseung Song's look back on her complex and longstanding struggle with her own identity and upbrA heart-wrenching and vulnerable memoir, "Docile" is Hyeseung Song's look back on her complex and longstanding struggle with her own identity and upbringing. The oldest child of Korean immigrants, Hyeseung's grew up in the deep south of Texas where, from the very beginning, she knew she was not like other children. Her appearance and her family's financial difficulties made for a difficult childhood, her father's constant pursuit of the "American dream" and becoming an entrepreneur leading to many fights with her mother, eventually forcing the family to declare bankruptcy and lose their home. Some of her earliest memories are of her inserting herself between her parents when they fought, trying to keep the fragile peace within the family.
As Hyeseung grows older, however, she becomes inundated with the messaging that many Asian parents dump on their children - the singular goal of academic excellence, which she absorbs as her own benchmark for life. Even when she gets accepted to some of the best schools in the nation, it's still not enough for her mother, who only wanted Harvard. Hyeseung graduates from Princeton, floundering on a path forward and questioning her future path in life; she is accepted to Harvard Law but her struggles with her own mental health completely derail her life - to the point where she must completely reassess what she's always been told she should do.
As a first generation Chinese-American immigrant myself, this novel hit so close to home and was relatable on far too many levels; I think readers who don't grow up with this background may not understand the weight of Hyeseung's upbringing and how devastating the (dis)approval of one's parents can be, even far into adulthood. It's painful, reading how exhaustingly she worked to follow path that was set for her, and what she sacrificed of herself in order to achieve it. She builds and fleshes out her parents into complex, multi-layered individuals - flawed, emotional, and imperfect, but also deeply loving individuals who also wanted the best for their children and thought they knew how to raise their daughter in a brand new country.
I admire Song for being able to pivot her life even as an adult, letting go of the years and time she'd put into pursuing a career that she never wanted, and finding her voice as an artist and writer. The last few chapters of the novel, as she comes to terms with her decisions and actions did feel a little rushed, especially with the passing of her mother, and I personally wish she had spent a little more time and focus on the more recent years.
Very much a recommended read when "Docile" is published in July 2024, especially for those with a similar upbringing.
Thank you Simon & Schuster for the advance copy of this novel!...more
This was one of the most difficult and painful books I've yet to read - but I'm so grateful that Tia Levings put into words the experiences she went tThis was one of the most difficult and painful books I've yet to read - but I'm so grateful that Tia Levings put into words the experiences she went through. "A Well-Trained Wife" is her memoir that looks back on her life, from her upbringing where church and religion served as a place of security and a means of connecting to others, to her future marriage where Christian fundamentalism took on became omnipresent force that nearly consumed her family.
While my own knowledge and background in religion is fairly limited as I grew up agnostic, I came to see how much of my own upbringing I'd taken for granted through this work. The bulk of the writing focuses on Tia Levings' life after her marriage to Allan, a man who initially appears to be a loving partner but reveals himself to be far from it. The long-standing mistreatment and abuse that Tia has to endure is excruciating and infuriating; as a woman, there were so many moments I wanted to scream. The fact that still, in this day in age, women are treated as beneath and subservient to men, that there are still populations that believe a wife's only duty to is take care of her husband and make him happy... is truly mind-blowing. Yet, Tia endured the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse all while raising four children and attempted to maintain some semblance of normalcy in their lives.
The triumph of this novel comes when she's able to take her words and utilize them as a source of power, identity, and sufficiency and take herself and her children to safety - and slowly rebuild a life all over again. She doesn't shy away from the difficulty of having to face and come to terms with her trauma, and the ongoing scars that still linger with her to this day.
This book should be approached with caution given the sensitivity of the topics, but it is nonetheless a book I think many should read. Very much looking forward to its publication in August 2024!
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the advance copy of this novel!...more
How do you review a work where the author completely and totally bares her soul to you?
This memoir is written with so much love and grace, intertwinedHow do you review a work where the author completely and totally bares her soul to you?
This memoir is written with so much love and grace, intertwined with all the dark, painful, and jarring moments of grief and loss. It's structured in a way that I think many of us recall our own memories - not fully chronological, loosely tied to objects or names or themes that spur these recollections in the present. In these montages, Amy Lin is able to truly build out who her husband, Kurtis, was and his shining, loving, larger-than-life personality and character.
The prose is carefully crafted, with many passages ending with a sigh, and is as heartbreaking as it is triumphant. Well worth a read....more
"Bite by Bite" is such a celebration of the simple pleasures in life. In this short and uniquely structured book, author and poet Aimee Nezhukumatathi"Bite by Bite" is such a celebration of the simple pleasures in life. In this short and uniquely structured book, author and poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil shares her pure love for all things edible and her personal connection to different foods and ingredients over the course of her life.
Each chapter centers on a singular food item or dish, from the humble potato to the more exotic mangosteen and jackfruit, and also includes creations like halo halo and lumpia - foods that were prominent in Nezhukumatathil's life growing up with a Filipino mother and an Indian father. I was fascinated by the sheer amount of historical background included, details on the entomology, and even a healthy sprinkle of mythology and folklore as well. The focus, however, is placed on the personal connection to each ingredient or creation, and I loved how the author brought us to the dinner tables of her childhood, the trips to India to visit her extended family, the bittersweet moments of watching her children grow older, and her own journey as a writer in New York. While some of the memories are specific, I could easily to connect to those moments; who hasn't been embarrassed as a child of bringing a "strange" food to school in fear of being teased? Or missed a specific dish that a parent made for us growing up that we still fail to recreate on our own, despite numerous attempts? Or connected with friends and loved ones over shared meals and foods?
This book was such a joy to read, and should be savored passage by passage. So excited for others to read when "Bite by Bite" is published April 30th!
Thank you Ecco Publishing for the advance copy of this novel!...more
"My Side of the River" is a beautifully written memoir by debut author Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, which details her life growing up as a first gen"My Side of the River" is a beautifully written memoir by debut author Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, which details her life growing up as a first generation Mexican immigrant in the US, and her pursuit of the "American Dream".
Growing up in Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth has always had the awareness that she and her family were different; from the color of her skin to the financial struggles that she did her best to hide from others, she watched as her mother and father were forced to take under-the-table jobs like cleaning movie theaters at night or working in unsafe manufacturing conditions in order to make ends meet. Nonetheless, her parents' sacrifice meant that Elizabeth and her younger brother Fernando were born as US Citizens - a status that they would never have. Her mother also instilled in her the drive to the best, something that Elizabeth held onto as she grew older and excelled in academics, hoping to attend one of the country's prestigious universities. Her perseverance held strong even when her parents were unable to return from a routine trip to Mexico while she was in middle school, denied a visa that split their family apart. Despite the difficulties, she's able to graduate top of her class in high school and accepts a place to the University of Pennsylvania for college.
What I hit close to home for me (as a fellow UPenn / Wharton graduate) was the struggles she went through in college; the constant pressure to continue to achieve, despite being pit against some of the smartest and most privileged young adults in the nation and world, and the hyper-focus on landing an equally prestigious internship and job in the banking and consulting world after. And even after being able to do so, the disillusionment continues when she begins working in the corporate finance industry in NYC, facing underlying racism and sexism from her manager and peers. Nonetheless, she makes it through the other end with her happiness intact and is able to reunite with her family members.
I'm admittedly biased towards this memoir as much of Gutierrez's story mirrors my own; as a first generation Asian immigrant who was focused on my academics, attended Wharton, and started working in finance in NYC after a grueling OCR process - I understood much of the internalized pressure she placed on herself as a child and an adult, the assumption of happiness and success tied to certain milestones, and the ongoing obligation to our parents and families placed on immigrant children, especially the eldest. She peels back the layers of the complicated expectations of her life, how growing up in poverty continues to have repercussions in her present, and the struggle to prioritize herself against the rest of her family. It's a much-needed perspective in the typical story of chasing the "American Dream", and the unexpected costs it can have on families.
Very much a recommended read when this memoir is published February 13, 2024!
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the advance copy of this novel!...more
In this sharply vulnerable and vivid memoir, Nina St. Pierre takes readers through her life as she's tried to piece together and understand the woman In this sharply vulnerable and vivid memoir, Nina St. Pierre takes readers through her life as she's tried to piece together and understand the woman that was her mother. As a child, Nina grew up with her younger brother Chris in northern California, moved from home to home by their mother. A decade before Nina's birth, her mother and her friend chose to set themselves on fire - and in the aftermath of her recovery, became a devout believer of Transcendental Meditation. It would continue to embed itself in her daily life, causing unfathomable repercussions for her family's lives in the years to come.
I was engrossed in this story from the very first page; Nina St. Pierre's writing style is enthralling and immersive, and she paints such descriptive settings and people with her prose. Although this is a memoir, the book is equally an exploration and dedication for her a mother: a complicated and multifaceted individual. We get to see the moments of her paranoia and delusions, when she weaves stories and conversations that never happened, but also her moments of love and dedication to her children, simply doing her best as a single mother to raise her two children. It's only in the years after her mother's unexpected passing that Nina is able to try and piece together the whys of her mother's actions, and brings to light the gaps in recognizing and treating mental illness even in the present day.
This is a weighty, and at times dark, read that doesn't follow the typical chronological timeline, but I appreciated the depth of emotion and additional research Nina St. Pierre included in her work.
Thank you Dutton Publishing for the advance copy of this novel!...more
5/5 stars for a beautifully-written, deeply moving and personal memoir.
Writer and poet Safiya Sinclair takes a painful and eye-opening deep dive into 5/5 stars for a beautifully-written, deeply moving and personal memoir.
Writer and poet Safiya Sinclair takes a painful and eye-opening deep dive into her childhood and upbringing, growing up as the oldest of her three siblings in Jamaica in a family that was ruled by her father's Rastafari beliefs. From her earliest memories, Safiya remembers his word as law - keeping her hair in long dreadlocks, not being able to eat meat, and the all-encompassing belief that she was somehow dirty and flawed, less than her brother. Even with her father's frequent disappears as an aspiring reggae musician and his inexplicable behavior, Safiya emerges as a bright, intelligent, and ambitious individual and starts to question the rules she has to live under. Her love for literature and language take her beyond her family's four walls and little by little, she and the other members of their family begin to find their own footing in life despite the fear of their father that they live under.
From the very beginning, it's clear that Safiya Sinclair is a poet; her sentences and passages all are crafted with care, formed with a deliberate ebb and flow. The writing is what carried me through some of the opening passages of the novel, which while confusing at first, set up some much-needed context for the beginnings of Rastafari and how they influenced Safiya's father. We follow her early years as a child, as she wants nothing more than to please her father, to the subsequent years where, little by little, the flawless image she has of him is carefully chipped away - until she's able to take her life into her own hands. She details as well her deep and complex relationship with her mother, as well as the ways her three younger siblings tried to shield each other from their father's behavior; it is a stunning portrait of a family that has evolved over the decades.
After reading this novel, I have nothing but deep admiration for the author - for her determination and continued persistence, her love of literature and learning, and the deep love she has for her family....more
A deeply personal and vulnerable memoir, "Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City" is poet Jane Wong's look back on her life, a meditation on moments and memA deeply personal and vulnerable memoir, "Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City" is poet Jane Wong's look back on her life, a meditation on moments and memories from childhood to her present growing up in Atlantic City in a Chinese-American family.
The memoir doesn't follow the typical chronological pattern, instead pulling together similar themes and topics across its chapters. Across these passages, we piece together key points of Wong's life - growing up with gambling addicted, frequently absent father; her fierce love and admiration for her mother (and her friend's invention of WongMom.Com); being in an abusive relationship; the simultaneous fetishization and demoralization of Asian women; and the omnipresence of food as a source of both nourishment and love. She interweaves a number of historical and contemporary pieces of literature as reference throughout, as well as various media sources to help highlight her points, and her musings on the recent pandemic make it even easier to connect to her messages.
I have not read any of Wong's earlier work before this book, but it's clear from her prose and writing that she is a poet. The choice of wording, the way the sentences and syllables are structured and flow - it is beautifully lyrical and makes so many passages memorable and emotional. There are so many moments in her past (and present) that she lays bare, moments of shame and weakness that most of us would likely wish to forget, that it feels less like a memoir and more a conversation with a close friend. I have to commend her for sharing so much of herself with us as, in her shoes, I'm sure I'd be nothing short of terrified to do so. Her story and voice, however, are a welcome addition to the AAPI community of authors and writers, and I can only hope that she will continue writing for many years....more
"While You Were Out" serves as journalist's Meg Kissinger's memoir, shedding light on her upbringing and family and the underlying motivation for much"While You Were Out" serves as journalist's Meg Kissinger's memoir, shedding light on her upbringing and family and the underlying motivation for much of her investigative work on mental illness. Growing up in the middle of 7 siblings in the suburbs of Chicago, Meg's upbringing could have followed the typical American storyline but became wrought with tragedy and loss, losing her sister Nancy and later her brother Danny to suicide, as well as both of her parents, Holmer and Jean, to cancer. Beyond just a simple recounting of her family's past, however, she looks into the underlying events and factors that contributed to these devastating losses - from the societal pressures for women to have large families, the unrestrained prescribing of drugs like Valium, the alcoholism that both of her parents succumbed to, and how overlooked and denied mental health and illness was during that time.
In full transparency, this is a difficult read. Looking back on this period of time, especially as a woman, is especially frustrating - Kissinger shares just how tumultuous her childhood was with parents barely managing their own mental health (one bipolar and manic, the other struggling with severe anxiety) that was only compounded by substance addiction. Especially as a child, she was helpless to do anything aside from watch her parents self-destruct and bear witness to the affect this had on her siblings. We follow as well the tragic domino effect of each loss within the family, and how inescapable grief and pain seemingly become as time goes on.
I really have to commend Meg Kissinger for not only sharing these dark, painful moments from her family's past, but taking these experiences and pivoting them into something good. Some of her initial work was deeply personal pieces about losing both a sister and brother to suicide, but she was also able to turn the spotlight onto other families and individuals who were struggling, highlighting the pitfalls and weaknesses of the public health system and the lack of understanding of mental illness by society as a whole. While this not a book that I would recommend to anyone given the myriad of topics covered, it is an eye-opening look into how severely mental illness can impact individuals beyond the one who's struggling, especially across families and society as a whole.
Than you Celadon Books for the advance copy of this novel!...more
In "They Called Us Exceptional", journalist Prachi Gupta unravels the complicated history of her family and the complex relationships she had with herIn "They Called Us Exceptional", journalist Prachi Gupta unravels the complicated history of her family and the complex relationships she had with her father, mother, and brother Yush. Her memoir is framed as a conversation to her mother as she looks back on her upbringing in an immigrant Indian American household growing up in the suburbs of Pennsylvania. The memories are painful and difficult, painting a family that appeared to be perfect at surface level with her father as a successful doctor, a stay-at-home mother, and two ambitious and hand-working children. The focus on appearances and the avoidance of shame however, is just one of many causes to the family's unraveling.
As a fellow first generation Asian immigrant in the US, there's so much about Prachi's story that hit home for me - the constant, unabating desire to please one's parents, especially her father; the controlling and demanding rules that were enforced, especially on her academic performance and social life; the love and affection she holds for her parents juxtaposed with anger and frustration. Her family becomes one that is delicately balanced, subject to topple at any moment due to the temper and whims of her father, and Prachi and her brother do their best to buffer his anger and protect their mother. Even as an adult, Prachi is unable to escape her family dynamic, and we see how the impacts of mental illness reverberate across each member of her family, culminating in a devastating loss.
Every chapter of this memoir is a stab in the heart as the author lays bare the what lay at the core of her family. From her father's toxic and manipulative behavior (whether intentional or not), the ongoing patriarchal standards leave women in abusive and dangerous situations, the unrelenting expectations and standards many Asian immigrant parents have for their children, and the overlooked mental illness that fails to be addressed in many families... There are so many difficult yet important subjects that Gupta covers in her memoir that will ring true for many readers.
Perhaps the best way to describe this book is using a line from the memoir itself: "They called us exceptional... and it destroyed us."...more
A courageous and unfettered memoir by Keri Blakinger, looking back on her life from a competitive figure skater, to a convict, to a journalist. There A courageous and unfettered memoir by Keri Blakinger, looking back on her life from a competitive figure skater, to a convict, to a journalist. There are so many difficult topics Blakinger covers in this book, including her struggles with an eating disorder fueled by the demands of figure skating; substance abuse and addiction, which led to her arrest and incarceration; the treatment and conditions within the prison and jail systems; and just how hard it is to escape the system and rebuild a new life with a felony record.
This is very brutal and dark novel, so not one I would recommend to anyone. I have to commend Blakinger for the sheer honesty that went into these pages as she doesn't try to cover up or excuse her actions - from becoming a drug dealer, becoming addicted to a myriad of substances, to the shame of having her name and photograph displayed on the news. It makes her eventual triumph and success that much more rewarding, however, and also explains her motivations for much of her ongoing work....more
Coleman Hill is such a unique structured novel; deemed a "Biomythography", author Kim Coleman Foote explores her own heritage and family tree, taking Coleman Hill is such a unique structured novel; deemed a "Biomythography", author Kim Coleman Foote explores her own heritage and family tree, taking readers on a journey through time and places as we follow in the footsteps of her own family members as they flee the post-Civil War south in the early 20th century and set new roots in Vauxhall, New Jersey.
Across each chapter, Coleman Foote writes from the first-person perspective of a new individual, starting with Celia Coleman and Lucy Grimes, two women whose lives and families become intertwined in an unexpected twist of fate. She lays bare the events and people that are part of her family history - the arguments and struggles, the mistakes and moments of shame, as well as their triumphs and joys. At the core of this novel is one family, but it also serves as glimpse into the history of America as a whole, especially the ongoing issues of racism and sexism, and the many changes that occurred over the past century.
I applaud the author for sharing her family's story, as well as her effort to reimagine each person's perspective and emotions, incorporating elements of fact and fiction - something I think many of us have done for our own ancestors. I both appreciated and struggled with the fact that each section is a new character and perspective; Coleman-Foote has done incredible job crafting a new voice and vernacular for each character, but it also made it difficult to connect with each individual given the constant change. Nonetheless, this is a beautifully written piece that serves as a testament to the love and strength of her family....more
Lara Love Hardin's memoir takes a look at the grittiest, darkest parts of her life, opening on a scene where she deA well-deserved, inspiring 5 stars.
Lara Love Hardin's memoir takes a look at the grittiest, darkest parts of her life, opening on a scene where she desperately tries to use a stolen credit card to get a hotel room for her and her young son Kaden. She's trying to keep her head above water, attempting to make sure her older three sons with her ex-husband can see her, while simultaneously being dragged down by her current husband DJ as he only encourages their drug dependency. Ultimately, it ends in their arrest and Kaden being forcibly separated from his mother; this is, she notes, the rock bottom moment of her life.
Nonetheless, Lara perseveres, finding her footing in prison and learning the complex and unwritten hierarchy and social norms in this isolated world. It is through her long-held love of writing and literature, however, where she's able to pull herself out and stay clean of drugs and attempt to return to the outside world - but this poses its own set of challenges. Having never been in a situation like hers, it was eye-opening to see the biases and obstacles in place for those with felony convictions and how impossible it is to find even one opportunity to have a new chance at life.
This is a triumphant novel that doesn't shy away from Lara's moments of shame and guilt - these are necessary, I think, to fully understand her later successes and achievements. Her writing is simultaneously fierce and emotional, and I was pulled in from the very first sentences through the end of the novel; any reader will cheer her on, hoping for a happy ending. While it is a memoir, she spends time on some very large and pressing topics at large - her own privilege in the system as a Caucasian woman; the detrimental conditions in prison, like the lack of access to clean water and food; the nonsensical rules and requirements in incarceration that makes it difficult for many to escape the system; and the societal barriers and prejudices in place against those who have been previously convicted. As an avid reader, it was a delight to find out novels I had previously read that she was a co-author on, which only adds to her strength as a writer.
I know many readers will benefit from and cherish this novel when it's released in August 2023!
Thank you Simon & Schuster for the advance copy of this novel!...more
As an Asian American woman similar in age to author Julia Lee, reading this book felt strangely cathartic. There's a lot packed into this deceptively As an Asian American woman similar in age to author Julia Lee, reading this book felt strangely cathartic. There's a lot packed into this deceptively short work, as it merges the boundaries between memoir, racial commentary, and race studies as a whole.
Julia Lee grew up in an area in LA that was predominantly Black; as the child of Korean immigrants, she watched as her parents struggled to raise her and her sister in a foreign country, all while realizing that the ways she was different from her peers and neighbors were innumerable, and many more than skin-deep. She herself that she was complicit in the dogma that many Asian families follow - work hard, keep your head down, go to a good (Ivy League) college, and be happy.
But... is that it? Julia looks back on her childhood, noting the the classicism she saw even as a child between races, the way money was the largest delimiter. She raises the looming issue of mental health, how poorly addressed and recognized it is in the Asian American community, and the underlying anxiety and depression that many struggle with. When discussing the simultaneous demeaning and fetishization of Asian women, she doesn't shy away from calling out the sheer absurdity of the situation. She also calls out her own flaws and misgivings, noting how her own generational trauma has been passed down to her daughter, something she tried her best to avoid doing. Despite being part of the "model minority" that has benefitted in the racial structure in America, Lee argues that it's not right to simply be silent - it's time to bite the hand that feeds us.
Growing up in a similar environment, there was so much in Lee's writing that rang true to me - and the issues and questions she raises are ones that need to be addressed at large.
Thank you Henry Holt and Co. for the advance copy of this novel!...more
"A Living Remedy" is a deeply personal recollection of grief and loss, told from the perspective of Nicole Chung.
Despite growing up in what some might"A Living Remedy" is a deeply personal recollection of grief and loss, told from the perspective of Nicole Chung.
Despite growing up in what some might a difficult childhood, Nicole Chung knew she was loved by her adoptive parents. She's raised in Oregon where she knows she doesn't look like everyone else including her parents, given her Korean heritage, but also watches as her parents struggle with life in the disappearing "middle class". Her father, working in various restaurants, struggles with the income his job is able to bring in, and Nicole witness first-hand the anxieties and pressures that money brings. Driven by this, Nicole works hard to gain access to higher education, and a scholarship to Johns Hopkins means she's able to leave her hometown and achieve the life her parents hoped she could have.
The family is unprepared for when Nicole's father's diabetes quickly spirals into kidney failure - an event that quickly spirals to his death. It's a jarring, life-changing event, and highlights not only the grief and loss from losing a father, but the pitfalls of the American healthcare system and how discriminatory it is to financially disadvantaged individuals. Nicole is barely able to move forward when her mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer - right before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is in this scenario when Nicole not only has to struggle with the impending loss of her second parent, but navigating it in the midst of a global pandemic when all her interactions with her mother are remote and virtual.
"A Living Memoir" is a beautiful testament to Nicole's parents, a collection of memories and events that demonstrate the love they had for her and for each other. It's a harsh coming of age, cemented by hardship, grief, and loss and the ways they shape and continue to impact us in the present - in the constant financial anxiety that Nicole still can't shake off to the fear of losing even more loved ones. It's also a triumph of love and family, as these are the things that continue to keep us moving forward, no matter what comes our way.
This is not an easy read, but one that I think many will come to appreciate.
Thank you Ecco Publishing for the advance copy of this novel!...more
I'm embarrassed to admit that prior to stumbling across "Finding Me", I didn't know much about Viola Davis. I wasn't raised in a household and environI'm embarrassed to admit that prior to stumbling across "Finding Me", I didn't know much about Viola Davis. I wasn't raised in a household and environment that watched movies or television, so much of her earlier work had completely gone past me - but her stunning cover and the sheer volume of positive feedback on her memoir drew me in.
In her memoir, Viola gives a brutally honest look back on her life, growing up as a black girl in a large impoverished family - "Po", in her terminology. She doesn't hold back on the descriptions of her home - the floors teeming with rats, the constantly dirty and smelly clothes, even the fact that she frequently wet the bed as a child and had to go to school in clothes that reeked of her own urine. She grows up watching and listening her father, alcoholic and abusive, mistreating her mother and in an environment where she is sexually abused as a child. There are so many points in her story that I felt my heart drop at what was just the norm for her and her family, and the shame and helplessness that she experienced on a regular basis.
Nonetheless, Viola persists, and her hard work, dedication, and talent allow her to enter Julliard and the professional acting world - a path that appears seamless at first glance, but is not without its own difficulties and frustrations. Regardless of her skills and talent, Viola nonetheless faces discrimination on the basis of her age, gender, skin color, and size, but still manages to emerge a stronger and better person. She has so many snippets of wisdom strewn across these pages but has crafted it to sound like a conversation with a friend - free-flowing, at times humorous, and candid.
I'm immediately going to start watching "How to Get Away With Murder", and probably much more of her work....more
I had casually known of Stanley Tucci after seeing him in several films (Julie & Julia, The Devil Wears Prada) but wasn't aware of the depth and breadI had casually known of Stanley Tucci after seeing him in several films (Julie & Julia, The Devil Wears Prada) but wasn't aware of the depth and breadth of his passion for food until stumbling across his memoir. Tucci gives readers glances into his life, starting from his childhood in upstate New York and the Upper West Side of NYC, to his initial foray into the world of theater and acting, and the many dishes and recipes that are intertwined with his life.
Even if you are not a fan of Tucci (but how could you not?), any food or drink lover will enjoy this novel. Included in each chapter are recipes for long-standing Italian dishes passed through his family, cocktails that he's become known for, and dishes he's traveled the world to taste and recreate. As someone who's been in NYC for over a decade, a loved the inclusion of restaurants that he grew up eating in (many of which, unfortunately, are now closed) as well as the anecdotes and stories where food played a pivot role in forming friendships and relationships with others. Even just learning about how catering for a large film or television production was fascinating - and his humor and self-deprecating jokes made for an easy read. I was also surprised to learn that he had battled tongue cancer and the resulting impact his treatment had on his ability to taste and eat food.
Highly recommended for any lover of food... just don't read while hungry!...more
In "Uncultured", Daniella Mestyanek Young takes us on a roller coaster of a story, unraveling the truths behind her childhood, to her time in the US AIn "Uncultured", Daniella Mestyanek Young takes us on a roller coaster of a story, unraveling the truths behind her childhood, to her time in the US Army as a soldier in Afghanistan, to her eventual arrival at Walter Reed Medical Center where she's forced to confront her own physical and mental state.
First and foremost: this is not an easy read and should have a Aassive Trigger Warning for topics of sexual assault, rape, and emotional manipulation. Especially in the first part of this book, Daniella details some of the harrowing abuse and mistreatment she faced growing up in the Children of God, a religious cult that forced her to grow up in Brazil, Mexico, and California. Her own parents do nothing to shield her from the abuse, and she's forced to grow up in a community of "Aunties" and "Uncles" where she's never sure who will help or harm her.
Daniella is able to remove herself from the cult as a teenager, though, and is forced to try and live in a world that she's completely unfamiliar with. What she latches on to, however, is her love of school and learning - and even though she starts off far behind her peers, she's able to get a full scholarship to college and Texas. She continues to excel, but is persuaded to join the military afterwards, where she learns that misogyny and sexism are more pervasive than she imagined. She nonetheless is able to triumph in the face of adversity and is recognized by President Obama for her bravery in Afghanistan... but she knows her work is far from over.
I was fascinated from the start with Daniella's story and the sheer determination and grit she had, despite countless adversity and difficulty. While I'd tangentially heard of various religious cults, getting to see it from her eyes and the horrors she experienced was painful - I physically cringed at various points throughout this book. She also brought to light the mistreatment she and her fellow female colleagues experienced in the military, and I couldn't help but share in her frustration and anger.
Not an easy read and not for everyone, but I commend Daniella for the the brutal honesty in her memoir....more
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