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A review by akross
Poor Your Soul by Mira Ptacin
3.0
There were moments in Ptacin's memoir that I laughed out loud- her mother's food hoarding is particularly reminiscent of my childhood at my aunt's home. I empathized with her desire to run through pain and grief. I hear her agony echo that of my friends who have suffered miscarriages or gone through abortions. I wanted to burn down Phillips Family Practice right along with her.
Yet even through the revelatory moments, I was distracted by Ptacin's erratic leaps in time, space, and character focus. The narrative felt more like I was sitting down to coffee for a long chat with a friend, rather than reading a carefully edited and structured memoir. That might work for some readers, but didn't vibe well with me.
It was also a minor annoyance when, after a therapist recommends antidepressants for her depression, she tosses aside this recommendation at the urging of a friend and starts "running therapy". This isn't an option for everyone, and just felt a bit dismissive on her part, especially for someone who is clearly in touch with the depth of disconnect and misery that can come from loss.
Yet even through the revelatory moments, I was distracted by Ptacin's erratic leaps in time, space, and character focus. The narrative felt more like I was sitting down to coffee for a long chat with a friend, rather than reading a carefully edited and structured memoir. That might work for some readers, but didn't vibe well with me.
It was also a minor annoyance when, after a therapist recommends antidepressants for her depression, she tosses aside this recommendation at the urging of a friend and starts "running therapy". This isn't an option for everyone, and just felt a bit dismissive on her part, especially for someone who is clearly in touch with the depth of disconnect and misery that can come from loss.