Reviews with content warning for Grief - Take My Hand

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

29 reviews

midnightverde's review

challenging dark 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? No

5.0

This is a beautifully written story about horrors from the past. It broke my heart thinking about all the real people who were abused by the system.

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marisamoo's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.75

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bowbeforeloki's review

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challenging 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? No

5.0

This book was emotionally driven , heartbreaking and wonderfully written. It speaks of the reality of what women of color experienced during this time span and captures

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marnash's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This book really spoke to the social worker in me, and more specifically, the NEW social worker in me. It deals with the hope to "save" our clients (or patients, depends on your perspective), assuming we swoop into their lives and make everything better. It deals beautiful with the question of client agency, accepting our clients for who they are, questions regarding agency and poverty, the right to live differently, the freedom to bare children (if there even is one). It touchs on all these and more thought provoking topics, and I can totally see this being a wonderful book club pick. I also loved the characters, even though something kept me from fully connecting with them.

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bookishmillennial's review

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disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

This is based on a real lawsuit & on the true story of Mary Alice and Minnie Lee Relf who, in 1973 at ages 12 and 14, were surgically sterilized without their consent in Montgomery, Alabama. 💔

Dolen Perkins-Valdez painted such a rich story with important historical context! I had no idea about the lawsuit that inspired this book & while I was horrified & devastated for the women, I was not surprised that the horrific racism that seeped into our health care system. I really don’t understand how the federal government felt these were ever rooted in “good intentions”🤮

I related to Civil a lot because you already know I can be sanctimonious and self-righteous😅 However, she had damn good reason to be! She spoke up about the unethical, immoral shit that happened because she deeply cared not only for her patients but for Black women everywhere. She knew how important having a choice was & she never wanted that taken away from anyone.

If you’re a historical fiction girly, please give this one a go! The audiobook was FANTASTIC btw👏🏽

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kelly_e's review

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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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