4.25 stars
Trigger warnings: Suicide, hanging, rape, animal abuse, child dying, use of the n word
This was such a bittersweet read. It's like every time I would get so happy, something terrible would happen and vice versa. But overall, I'm happy with the way things ended.
I love the inclusion of real history, like the fugates in Kentucky who really did have methemoglobinemia (which I knew thanks to first year of med school) and the book women (which I did not know about). On the topic of medical content, I think it's inclusion was really well done. Accurate, but not overly technical. You could tell the author did their research. Along the same lines, I really appreciated the author's note where Richardson explained her intentions and her passion behind sharing these stories.
But the characters were truly the shining light in this. They all made me feel something, whether it was deep anger or love and affection. Something that particularly sets me ablaze is when people use religion as an excuse to spew hatred, and there was plenty of characters like that in here. But it was balanced with hope and characters who truly sacrifice everything they have to help one another (especially our main character Cussy Mary).
I also adored the all the relationships in this: familial, romantic, and friendships. Watching them grow and develop was truly beautiful. If you know me you know I am a sap for a good father/ daughter relationship. And the romantic relationship was like garnish on top of an already good meal. I loved that it didn't take over the story, but rather added to its richness. And the dedication Cussy Mary had for her friendships, her love and willingness to sacrifice, was so admirable. Overall, a great read.
Trigger warnings: Suicide, hanging, rape, animal abuse, child dying, use of the n word
This was such a bittersweet read. It's like every time I would get so happy, something terrible would happen and vice versa. But overall, I'm happy with the way things ended.
I love the inclusion of real history, like the fugates in Kentucky who really did have methemoglobinemia (which I knew thanks to first year of med school) and the book women (which I did not know about). On the topic of medical content, I think it's inclusion was really well done. Accurate, but not overly technical. You could tell the author did their research. Along the same lines, I really appreciated the author's note where Richardson explained her intentions and her passion behind sharing these stories.
But the characters were truly the shining light in this. They all made me feel something, whether it was deep anger or love and affection. Something that particularly sets me ablaze is when people use religion as an excuse to spew hatred, and there was plenty of characters like that in here. But it was balanced with hope and characters who truly sacrifice everything they have to help one another (especially our main character Cussy Mary).
I also adored the all the relationships in this: familial, romantic, and friendships. Watching them grow and develop was truly beautiful. If you know me you know I am a sap for a good father/ daughter relationship. And the romantic relationship was like garnish on top of an already good meal. I loved that it didn't take over the story, but rather added to its richness. And the dedication Cussy Mary had for her friendships, her love and willingness to sacrifice, was so admirable. Overall, a great read.