Reviews

Erzulie's Skirt by Ana-Maurine Lara

isabelreads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Masterful, gorgeous, expansive and truly magical. It's an inspiring exploration of queerness, Hispañola, and traditional religious practices of the Caribbean. I loved it.

lisamck's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

snailbutch's review against another edition

5.0

This book was my favorite book I read in college, by a pretty wide margin. The prose is beautiful, the narratives combine in interesting ways, and it is one of the most touching and authentic representations of lesbian identities that I have ever seen. I should say that this book requires a Big content warning for, well, a lot of things: violent racism and homophobia, human trafficking, rape, and probably more things that I am forgetting. Through all of the difficulties, the book never dips into despair. Trauma and suffering, sure, but there is healing as well. This book owns.

chlorentine's review

5.0

:( sad...It was beautifully written. It had so much going on in terms of format, the shifting points of view, the lax take on the passage of time, the intimacy, the racism/discrimination within the same island...It's a lot to take in. Although Miriam was my favorite, several of Micaela's emotionally scarring backstories left me reeling. Their excursion to Puerto Rico, too, was horrifying. I'm glad that the ending was bittersweet rather than just bitter. Their lives are so so tragic and I'm glad that by the last few chapters, their chance to finally rest and have a happy time in their lives finally presents itself.
Still, the vast majority of this book was so so so so so sad. I don't think I would have read this book if it wasn't for a class. I did enjoy it and I'm glad I read it, but it's. HEAVY. It's the kind of book that weighs on you.