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Reviews
Black Is the Body: Stories from My Grandmother's Time, My Mother's Time, and Mine by Emily Bernard
madmollyann's review
5.0
An honest portrayal of race in the US, with specific references to being a BIPOC in the very white state of VT.
amberoooo's review
3.5
I did like this book but felt that the last couple essays were slow and drug out a bit.
lahowitt's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent and enlightening set of essays. Beautiful prose on a range of subjects -home, adoption, history, family, random violence- all intertwined with the author’s experience of being Black.
cmorrisclark's review
3.0
A solid 3.5. Intimate, tender essays on life as a Black woman in Vermont, but less about race and racism.
One quote that stuck out to me was a generalization about the North versus the South:
"In the South, white people want you close but not high [successful]. In the North, you can get as high as you want, but they don't want you close."
This quote has left me with a lot to think about-- about segregation in the PNW, where I live. About diverse schools where students still break down along racial lines.
One quote that stuck out to me was a generalization about the North versus the South:
"In the South, white people want you close but not high [successful]. In the North, you can get as high as you want, but they don't want you close."
This quote has left me with a lot to think about-- about segregation in the PNW, where I live. About diverse schools where students still break down along racial lines.
kayleeaspen's review
5.0
MUST READ! Emily Bernard changed my life with her essays. Bernard taught me what it means to not take things personally, and this revelation came at the most perfect time in my life. Speaking from her experiences, Bernard invites readers into her childhood, her grandmother's childhood, and her mother's childhood through the stories of racism and struggles. However, this collection of essays is not solely based around racism, although it (of course) is a major theme embedded throughout her essays. She also explains the adoption of her twin daughters from Ethiopia, which, as a woman who wants to adopt in the future, really hit home for me. She speaks of the shame and guilt she felt for not quite wanting to birth her own children, and I feel like that is not talked about nearly enough. Also, as a biracial woman, I could relate to Bernard's experiences of living in a very White space, as I was raised by my White mother in a very White city in the south. Overall, these essays are worth the read, and everyone will be able to relate to some piece of Bernard's experiences.
dag__chika's review
5.0
Emily Bernard writes some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. Black is the Body functions both as a deep, educational telling of the racialized experiences of a Black woman, and as beautiful, joy-to-read stories. I highly recommend.
kmatthe2's review
4.0
A beautiful essay collection about the complexities of living in a black female body in America. Lyrical and literary. Personal and communal.