Heart Berries: A Memoir
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Description
Having survived a profoundly dysfunctional upbringing only to find herself hospitalized and facing a dual diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar II disorder, Terese Marie Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma. The triumphant result is Heart Berries, a memorial for Mailhot's mother, a social worker and activist who had a thing for prisoners; a story of reconciliation with her father―an abusive drunk and a brilliant artist―who was murdered under mysterious circumstances; and an elegy on how difficult it is to love someone while dragging the long shadows of shame.
Mailhot trusts the reader to understand that memory isn't exact, but melded to imagination, pain, and what we can bring ourselves to accept. Her unique and at times unsettling voice graphically illustrates her mental state. As she writes, she discovers her own true voice, seizes control of her story, and, in so doing, reestablishes her connection to her family, to her people, and to her place in the world.
Book Information
Posts
I decided to not give a rating this time, because while I personally struggled with the writing style a lot and felt like I was reading journal entries and thus intruding into someone else's life, I think the topic of that book is important and the author's voice should be heard. A rating would feel counterproductive from my side and would feel like I am putting a number on her pain. To me, that feels wrong. Because what if this novel would have been polished? If the writing style was a little less personal but neutral, would it take away from the pain of a native american woman, a voice that has been silenced in all of history? A punch is important because how else can you be heard if you tried everything else already?
Description
Having survived a profoundly dysfunctional upbringing only to find herself hospitalized and facing a dual diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar II disorder, Terese Marie Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma. The triumphant result is Heart Berries, a memorial for Mailhot's mother, a social worker and activist who had a thing for prisoners; a story of reconciliation with her father―an abusive drunk and a brilliant artist―who was murdered under mysterious circumstances; and an elegy on how difficult it is to love someone while dragging the long shadows of shame.
Mailhot trusts the reader to understand that memory isn't exact, but melded to imagination, pain, and what we can bring ourselves to accept. Her unique and at times unsettling voice graphically illustrates her mental state. As she writes, she discovers her own true voice, seizes control of her story, and, in so doing, reestablishes her connection to her family, to her people, and to her place in the world.
Book Information
Posts
I decided to not give a rating this time, because while I personally struggled with the writing style a lot and felt like I was reading journal entries and thus intruding into someone else's life, I think the topic of that book is important and the author's voice should be heard. A rating would feel counterproductive from my side and would feel like I am putting a number on her pain. To me, that feels wrong. Because what if this novel would have been polished? If the writing style was a little less personal but neutral, would it take away from the pain of a native american woman, a voice that has been silenced in all of history? A punch is important because how else can you be heard if you tried everything else already?