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Another bail…I really liked Serpell‘s The Old Drift, but this one was just too vague for me. I connected with the narrator initially, and different versions of her painful experience, but not how she continued to process it later.

30 Apr-3 May 23 (audiobook)
Soft pick. I really enjoyed the first part, which told how Cassandra‘s younger brother drowned while alone with her at the beach and the devastating impact this has on her and her family. The grief, guilt and blame were palpable. Less successful for me were the following sections dealing with mistaken identity and the industry of grief. I particularly disliked the sections in the audio where two narrators read.

The writing was excellent but the story was too abstract for my taste.

^^ p83 TIME “It erupts. It turns over. Shocks. Revolutions. Cycles.” Narrative mimics this, restarting the story of Wayne‘s accident over & over. Shocking again.

I wish Serpell would have kept this groove going, this skipping the needle back, warping. Such a beautifully unreliable narrative that suddenly wants to make sense. And mother figure Charlotte is turned two-dimensional—so much unexplored here in persistence, denial, brutal hope.

Funhouse mirrors. Cassandra‘s grief & guilt over accidental death of younger brother have her retelling the story every which way. Wish Serpell retained the sibling focus & left more unresolved. P 98 “The world is never what you think it is. It can turn over and expose itself to be the exact opposite.” Refrain: “I don‘t want to tell you what happened. I want to tell you how it felt.” Loops. Vigil Aunties. Bay Area portrait. Ambiguous loss. 2022

A unique experience in grief, over a lifetime. After the loss of her 7 year old brother, Cassandra‘s life (12 years old) is forever changed and through this immense loss is the lens in which she views the world, as she becomes an adult. Others come into her life and she is repeatedly reminded of Wayne, her brother who was lost to her and her family much too young. Perspectives change and readers are privy to another view of events. #nyttopten2022

I was over halfway done with this and had no interest at all in finishing it. Just not my thing I guess.

Deep dive into long term and often messy grief. 4/5 stars, recommended for your Fall reading list