Reviews tagging 'Death'

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

12 reviews

dblue236's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Trigger warnings: Racism, pregnancy, sterilization of children, brief insinuations of child abuse. 

I passed on this book a couple years ago when I had the opportunity to choose it from Book of the Month, and then it recently showed up in my Little Free Library so I took it as a sign that I should give it a chance. I'm so glad I did. It's easily one of the most moving books I've read so far this year, and while it was often heartbreaking, it also left me feeling inspired and uplifted by the time it was over. The characters felt real, and learning at the end that the book was actually loosely based on true events felt like being punched in the gut. I cannot wait to pick up more from this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Racism

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent

cdoubet's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Sexism

Moderate: Abortion, Body horror, Cursing, Alcohol, Blood, and Slavery

Minor: Stalking, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Terminal illness, and Violence

kelly_e's review

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Title: Take My Hand
Author: Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: April 12, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Delicate • Devastating • Illuminating

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies.

But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.

Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Take My Hand was one of my 12 recommendations from 12 friends for 2023, and one I was most looking forward to after so many glowing reviews from trusted historical fiction readers. Honestly, I am not sure 5-stars is nearly enough for this powerful and emotional book.

One of the things I appreciate most about historical fiction is how it allows the reader a glimpse into history through so many different lenses. Although Take My Hand is a fictionalized account (based on true events), the writing and characterization brought everything to life. Told in dual timelines and exploring the haunting history of eugenics, this novel is incredibly well-written and eye-opening. The characters were three dimensional and I was sucked into their lives from the very start. There were moments of pause, there were tears, there was anger - it was just an incredible reading experience. Yet knowing this happened, and continues to happen, is so unsettling.

Take My Hand will be easily be finding its way onto my forever shelf, as well as my year-end 2023 favourites list! It's a novel offering another much needed layer to the discussion of reproductive rights and justice. It is sure to spark discussion, raising moral and ethical questions. I will be thinking of this one for a long time to come. So far my friends have been hitting it out of the park with their recommendations.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• historical fiction lovers
• fans of Necessary Lies
• bookclubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Our bodies belong to us. Poor, disabled, it didn't matter. These were our bodies and we have the right to decide what to do with them."

"There is no greater right for a woman than having a choice."

"I had never known that good intentions could be just as destructive as bad ones." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Infertility, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexism, Classism, Grief, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Death, Suicide, and Abortion

Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, Genocide, Car accident, Child death, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Terminal illness, Cancer, and Sexual content

adoption

emardesen's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma and Infertility

Moderate: Racism, Abortion, Child abuse, and Death

Minor: Mental illness

shesheshelby's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Overall, this was a pretty good book. I haven’t read much about forced sterilization and the infamous Tuskegee study, but both are so, so important to learn about. The book covers issues of saviorism, reproductive justice, and how we handle trauma. It made me reconsider a lot of how I think about poverty and my role in social work. It also got me thinking about racism in medicine - so much to consider! 

The main character annoyed me, so it was hard to give this book more than 4 stars. A main focus of the book is the main character’s flaws, but I wanted to see more growth from her. The main character’s growth is probably realistic, however!  

I didn’t like the feeling I had at the end of the book. So many things were left unresolved, but isn’t that true in the real world? There is still racism and racial disparities in medicine and people finding identity in “saving” others and forced sterilization and female genital mutilation, so we should be uncomfortable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Death, Abortion, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual violence, Classism, Infertility, Hate crime, Genocide, and Cancer

alexisgarcia's review

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

this broke my heart but the story also made me feel so much love for the characters. the history behind the book will leave you speechless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abortion, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Abandonment, Car accident, Medical content, Death, Hate crime, Grief, Infertility, Cursing, Cancer, Child abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Violence, Body horror, and Vomit

erickaonpaper's review

dark informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

following my last read, i flipped through this book quickly, despite its darker themes. i think dolen's fictionalization of the horrific story of the relf sisters' and the government's non-consenting sterilization of poor, Black and brown, and disabled communities was dealt with an emotional hand. viewing this story through the lens of the actual real life event might be a little unfair: perkins-valdez herself claims in her author's note that while she didn't have the nurse's real life accounts of the events, she wrote this from the perspective of a nurse with her own burgeoning emotional life. although i could have done without all the smaller side stories, i think this story makes for a great read for those first educating themselves on the complex relationship between the government, medicine, and black/brown/poor/disabled lives. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility and Medical trauma

Moderate: Classism, Car accident, and Abortion

Minor: Death and Cancer

mysterymom40's review

emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma

Moderate: Car accident, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Abortion, Death, Mental illness, Medical content, and Racism

Minor: Pregnancy

katierobertsonshaddix's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Death, Grief, Medical content, Sexism, Body horror, Infertility, Medical trauma, Racism, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy

cc_shelflove's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

What an amazing and thought-provoking read! Civil Townsend is a freshly graduated nurse who takes a job at the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic. When a friend points out to her that the Depo-Provera shot she is administering has not yet been approved by the FDA, she begins to take a deeper dive into its efficacy and potential long-term side effects. Later, something even worse happens at the clinic, and Civil uses all of her might to take a stand. The saddest part about this novel is that it is loosely inspired by true events. The author shares that she did three years of research before writing Take My Hand, and this is very evident to the reader throughout the story. Reproductive rights are, rightfully so, a hot topic in our country. This book will hopefully add to the ongoing conversations.

I also couldn’t help but think of the you-know-what vaccine during that portion of the novel… Do your research, kids.

If you liked this book, check out Small Great Things.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Abortion, Racism, and Medical content

Moderate: Death, Child death, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer and Mental illness