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A review by decie
How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
4.25
"I wish I had known that really, this was always how it was going to play out for the two of us one way or another precisely because my grandmother loved - loves - me. She tightened her grip until it became so painful that I had no choice but to yank myself free.
People don't just happen. We sacrifice former versions of ourselves. We sacrifice the people who dared to raise us. The 'I', it seems, doesn't exist until we are able to say, 'I am no longer yours.'"
"And then I did exactly what I thought all people who love each other do: I changed the subject. I changed myself. I erased everything I had just said. I erased myself so I could be her son again."
People don't just happen. We sacrifice former versions of ourselves. We sacrifice the people who dared to raise us. The 'I', it seems, doesn't exist until we are able to say, 'I am no longer yours.'"
"And then I did exactly what I thought all people who love each other do: I changed the subject. I changed myself. I erased everything I had just said. I erased myself so I could be her son again."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, and Adult/minor relationship