Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Racism'
Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom
4 reviews
jayisreading's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
A collection of letters wrapped in compassion, Kai Cheng Thom—a trans Asian Canadian woman—writes from the heart to embrace every human as sacred beings. In spite of the pain she has dealt with in her life, in spite of all the hateful people in this world, she writes with hope and sincerity. She writes to trans women, sex workers and their patrons, herself, among others to remind them (and the readers) of the love and beauty that exist in this world. Especially in a world that’s weighed down by hurt and grief, Thom’s words are more needed than ever for us to take a moment to reflect.
I also appreciated that, between each letter, she invited the reader to practice an act of self-love and self-reflection. For example: “Write a letter of forgiveness to someone. That someone can be yourself.”
I read this collection and listened to the audiobook simultaneously, and I found that hearing Thom reading each letter herself left a greater impression on me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, Death, Suicide attempt, Rape, and Racism
meganpbell's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
What do you do when the world threatens your belief that all beings are worthy of love? In this powerful collection of poems, prayers, and spells, a Chinese Canadian transwoman writes to reclaim her love of being human, through tender and intense letters addressed to such diverse recipients as J. K. Rowling, johns, and Jesus Christ, to fellow trans femmes, to the church of social justice, to compulsive caregivers, and many more, each with a suggested action, my favorite being: “Think of someone you’d like to punish….send them a book of poetry instead.” Read this brief book to fall back in love with being human—it begins by falling in love with the powerful, spiritually wise, and redemptive words of Kai Cheng Thom.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Gun violence, and Homophobia
olivia_piepmeier's review
challenging
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
It's a fairly small book of...poetry-like essays/letters, but Thom manages to pack in an immense amount of their life without it being a memoir thanks to their genuinely loving spirit and skill with words. Those that feel a desire for a world that's open and compassionate will find a friend here.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Bullying, and Rape
annajoyreed93's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
“the secret of resilience is the art of surrender.”
from to a lost sister
“a child who keeps secrets to survive becomes a solider in their soul.”
from to the Animorphs
“i was seven years old when I told my first lie, and i still remember how it tasted: salty, savory, delicious, dirty, divine, dangerous, powerful, like freedom. how it came from nowhere, from the empty air, from a secret place inside my body that i’d never even known was there. how it felt electric, alive, like turning a key in a lock and stepping into the light. here was magic. here was escape. here was the power to twist reality with nothing but words, abracadabra alakazam, through the act of speaking, i create. here was shapeshifting, becoming someone else. with a lie you become lovable, at least for a while, until you’re discovered and everything turns to dust once again.”
from to the confabulists
from to a lost sister
“a child who keeps secrets to survive becomes a solider in their soul.”
from to the Animorphs
“i was seven years old when I told my first lie, and i still remember how it tasted: salty, savory, delicious, dirty, divine, dangerous, powerful, like freedom. how it came from nowhere, from the empty air, from a secret place inside my body that i’d never even known was there. how it felt electric, alive, like turning a key in a lock and stepping into the light. here was magic. here was escape. here was the power to twist reality with nothing but words, abracadabra alakazam, through the act of speaking, i create. here was shapeshifting, becoming someone else. with a lie you become lovable, at least for a while, until you’re discovered and everything turns to dust once again.”
from to the confabulists
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Transphobia, Murder, Sexual assault, Racism, Homophobia, Death, Suicide, and Rape
More...