A captivating memoir of the author's relationship and development growing up with a somewhat narcicistic mother. Brodeur journeys through the first half of her life unaware that her own emotional growth and development were deprived from being enmeshed in her mother's life. She moves from childhood to adulthood in a role of emotional caretaker to her mother's adolescence relived, sacrificing her own developmental phase.
The author reflects on generational patterns of attachment challenges and the imprint that that it leaves, ever so unconsciously, on the lives of future generations. Brodeur learns the hard way and ultimately has to do the hard work in her adult years to reclaim lost time of her youth to individuate and fill the yawning void in her soul.
As I read this through I wished for just a bit more insight into the author's emotional state and there still seem to remain vast gaps in memory or insight into much of her life. There's still an emptiness about it that I can't quite grasp, and also a sense of disconnection from others in her life -- with little development revealed of her friendships or relationship with her brother which just seems to have completely dissipated entirely after the first chapter or so. The perspective of other intimate relationships, friendships seemed absent from the script.
The prose was beautifully crafted, melifluous flow of language and a great deal of description of culinary and simple coastal adventures that are quilted into the narrative, sometimes feeling like it too may have taking over space in Brodeur's emotional landscape...
Thanks to bookishfirst for a copy of this book for review.
The author reflects on generational patterns of attachment challenges and the imprint that that it leaves, ever so unconsciously, on the lives of future generations. Brodeur learns the hard way and ultimately has to do the hard work in her adult years to reclaim lost time of her youth to individuate and fill the yawning void in her soul.
As I read this through I wished for just a bit more insight into the author's emotional state and there still seem to remain vast gaps in memory or insight into much of her life. There's still an emptiness about it that I can't quite grasp, and also a sense of disconnection from others in her life -- with little development revealed of her friendships or relationship with her brother which just seems to have completely dissipated entirely after the first chapter or so. The perspective of other intimate relationships, friendships seemed absent from the script.
The prose was beautifully crafted, melifluous flow of language and a great deal of description of culinary and simple coastal adventures that are quilted into the narrative, sometimes feeling like it too may have taking over space in Brodeur's emotional landscape...
Thanks to bookishfirst for a copy of this book for review.