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beardedbarista's review
5.0
This book is harrowing. Jarring. Sad and darkly funny. The writing is amazing. Tromblay is a talent. His story is so pulverizing though. This book is a gift for someone needing to feel something. Tromblay's story from childhood, military and up to present is a journey you have to take for yourself.
This is one of my favorite books of 2021 so far and I am especially grateful for dzanc books for sending me an advanced copy to read and review.
This is one of my favorite books of 2021 so far and I am especially grateful for dzanc books for sending me an advanced copy to read and review.
bookalong's review
4.0
Tromblay weaves us through his life and the intergenerational brutality and dysfunction of his Indigenous ancestry.
This is an acutely written memoir. There were passages that were really hard to read as Tremblay holds nothing back in these raw description of his life.Taking us through his childhood and adolescence where he endures the worst kinds of traumas. After his mother dies he is raised by his grandmother who herself lived through the horrors of residential schools and because of this has a warped sense of punishment, and his unstable, alcoholic father lived with them. Tromblay also takes us into his time in the Armed Forces before going into creative writing.
Tromblay's story conjures so much empathy. I applaud him for writing his journey, and for sharing the truths of his families brutalized history, the generational trauma and racism they faced and the aftereffects of such treatment. A tough read but worth it. Thank You @dzancbooks for sharing this one with me opinions are my own.
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For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
This is an acutely written memoir. There were passages that were really hard to read as Tremblay holds nothing back in these raw description of his life.Taking us through his childhood and adolescence where he endures the worst kinds of traumas. After his mother dies he is raised by his grandmother who herself lived through the horrors of residential schools and because of this has a warped sense of punishment, and his unstable, alcoholic father lived with them. Tromblay also takes us into his time in the Armed Forces before going into creative writing.
Tromblay's story conjures so much empathy. I applaud him for writing his journey, and for sharing the truths of his families brutalized history, the generational trauma and racism they faced and the aftereffects of such treatment. A tough read but worth it. Thank You @dzancbooks for sharing this one with me opinions are my own.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
deedireads's review
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
4.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
First, thank you to Dzanc Books for sending a copy of this memoir my way. It took me a few months to get to it because I knew that I was going to need to be in a certain emotional place to process it. David Tromblay’s memoir describes, in short vignettes of memory, his absolutely brutal, painful life — from extreme, violent child abuse to his time in the Iraq war to suffering from severe PTSD.
“Enjoyable” is not a word I would use to describe reading a book like this. It was hard. But Tromblay writes in a way that holds your gaze steady. I think the choice to split the memories into short chapters and bounce around a bit in time was helpful, because it propels you through the narration. And Tromblay’s voice, while never sugar coating anything (in fact he throws quite a few punches our way), still manages to carry you with a measure of care. I also appreciated the way he weaved in his disconnect with his Indigenous ancestry while showing how his father wielded it as a sort of weapon-shield.
But — it was a hard read. I can only imagine how difficult and painful it must have been to write a book like this. For that alone, I can’t help but praise it. And if he could write it, we can read it. My suggestion would just be to break this book up into very small pieces and read it over a long stretch of time, because otherwise, it could quickly overwhelm.
First, thank you to Dzanc Books for sending a copy of this memoir my way. It took me a few months to get to it because I knew that I was going to need to be in a certain emotional place to process it. David Tromblay’s memoir describes, in short vignettes of memory, his absolutely brutal, painful life — from extreme, violent child abuse to his time in the Iraq war to suffering from severe PTSD.
“Enjoyable” is not a word I would use to describe reading a book like this. It was hard. But Tromblay writes in a way that holds your gaze steady. I think the choice to split the memories into short chapters and bounce around a bit in time was helpful, because it propels you through the narration. And Tromblay’s voice, while never sugar coating anything (in fact he throws quite a few punches our way), still manages to carry you with a measure of care. I also appreciated the way he weaved in his disconnect with his Indigenous ancestry while showing how his father wielded it as a sort of weapon-shield.
But — it was a hard read. I can only imagine how difficult and painful it must have been to write a book like this. For that alone, I can’t help but praise it. And if he could write it, we can read it. My suggestion would just be to break this book up into very small pieces and read it over a long stretch of time, because otherwise, it could quickly overwhelm.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, and Racism
vanreads's review
David Tromblay tells his life story in this memoir, detailing events from his childhood to his career in the US military. Set in a second person narrative in a very matter of fact writing style, Tromblay draws you into his life story. It's not an easy one. His childhood is traumatic, as he faces familial abuse, drunk parenting, and rape, to name a few. We see the aftereffects of the Indigenous experience post colonization with family members having come out of the 'Indian' residential school system. Although Tromblay does not make these direct correlations in his storytelling, I feel that people who have an understanding of Indigenous history in America will know that the trauma is a result of the colonization of America. It's an uncomfortable read, because Tromblay forces you to face the facts by sharing what he and his family have gone through. Rather than writing an evocative tale, his matter of fact storytelling style asks you to make your own judgements on his life, which is no easy or light task. It's asking you to confront the realities of the Indigenous experience that cannot be taken lightly.
By telling his story, Tromblay also explores his own Indigenous identity. Born as a mixed race child, he also grapples with the question of his roots. Is he Indigenous enough? Is there an answer to his question?
Although he does not end on a clear conclusion, he comes to closure on his story. He has told what he wanted to, and that in itself is enough.
Thank you Dzanc Books for sharing this ARC with me.
By telling his story, Tromblay also explores his own Indigenous identity. Born as a mixed race child, he also grapples with the question of his roots. Is he Indigenous enough? Is there an answer to his question?
Although he does not end on a clear conclusion, he comes to closure on his story. He has told what he wanted to, and that in itself is enough.
Thank you Dzanc Books for sharing this ARC with me.
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