Reviews

Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation by Maud Newton

pigeonindustrialcomplex's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.5

toddlleopold's review

3.0

I had high hopes for this book — good reviews, all that — but like many other Goodreads readers, I think it was a mixed bag. The chapters about her most recent relatives (fundamentalist mother, strict and perhaps spectrumish father, warm grandmother and more strait-laced grandmother) were the most fascinating, and her attempt to retrace the life of her mother’s father, married 10 times, was equally engrossing. But her stories about the history of genealogy and genetics, about 17th-century witches and ancient hurts, were hit and miss.

Perhaps a narrower memoir would have worked better. Instead, the seeming sprawl of “Ancestor Trouble” makes the pace lag. I understand the need for understanding and forgiveness — an ongoing project with me as well — but, in the end, all you can act on is yourself and hope for the best for those who come after.

I didn’t realize many Europeans only rent their cemetery plots, though. There’s a metaphor there, the most effective of Newton’s book, and its best takeaway.

tueller42's review

3.0

I wanted to like this more than I actually did. I just kept getting lost and couldn't follow the organization well. And I just didn't always agree with her thinking. But it was interesting.

zinzee's review

2.0

"Birds of a feather flock together" All my life I have used this phrase in terms of personality. As in like-minded people will stick together but seeing as the author used it for skin colour in a racist manner is astounding. It makes perfect sense, why didn't I think of this earlier? This book has opened my eyes to so many new terminologies it is marvellous. However, I found this book a bit boring. It felt like being in a class reading a textbook I didn't want to read. Not that the information wasn't meaningful but it was written in a nun engaging sort of way.

benrogerswpg's review against another edition

2.0

Reading Trouble

This was a not-so-great book to be honest.

It sounded good, but ended up being a dry memoir.

Reminded me a bit of [b:Crying in H Mart|54814676|Crying in H Mart|Michelle Zauner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601937850l/54814676._SX50_.jpg|68668937].

Would not recommend.

2.4/5

laurap's review

informative reflective slow-paced

3.25

abookishtype's review

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Maud Newton, the author of Ancestor Trouble, is the product of two people who decided to get married because, her father said, they would have smart children together. Newton’s mother and father contributed more than DNA; they also brought their prejudices, mental illnesses, and other potentially damaging factors into their parenting. This memoir dives headfirst into the question of how our parents shaped us, how their parents shaped them, and on back through the centuries using genealogical and historical research, DNA ancestry testing, and family stories...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. 

jknoxwhite's review

challenging emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

mybeautifulillusion's review

Ugh...I don't know. Maybe I'll get back into it.

kellyroberson's review

3.0

There are moments of real insight and interest in this book. But there are moments when it’s jumbled and overwrought (pouring out the bottle of wine as honoring indigenous peoples? I mean no). What really left me behind was the fairy sighting during the ancestral workshop.