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The Autobiography of My Mother (1995)

by Jamaica Kincaid

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8391525,681 (3.53)31
The West Indian narrator vents her bitterness at the unhappy life fate dealt her--mother died in childbirth, father ignored her, stepmother tried to kill her, at school she had an abortion. Finally, she married a white doctor, but it was impossible for her to love him because he was a colonialist. She draws parallels with the despair of her country--Dominica--attributing it to the legacy of slavery. By the author of Lucy.… (more)
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» See also 31 mentions

English (14)  Spanish (1)  All languages (15)
Showing 1-5 of 14 (next | show all)
Kincaid's writng saved this book for me. I am aware that life is very difficult for both women and people who have been colonized. However, knowing so many details of her mother's life did not teach me anything. ( )
  suesbooks | Jan 29, 2022 |
Perhaps I approached this book with too high expectations, hoping to immerse myself in an island culture as it struggled with the impact of colonialism. Yes, you could find that in the story, but I didn't find myself drawn to any of the characters. Perhaps a different book would be a better starting point into Kincaid's writing. ( )
  Aldon.Hynes | Sep 14, 2021 |
"My impulse is to the good, my good is to serve myself. I am not a people, I am not a nation. I only wish from time to time to make my actions be the actions of a people, to make my actions be the actions of a nation."

I started this one on my vacation to Costa Rica and I have been thinking about it ever since. The Autobiography of My Mother by Jamaica Kinkaid is haunting, introspective and thought provoking. The writing cuts deep to the core. As a reader you are challenged to contemplate on the writer's innermost thoughts and process the historical context that has contributed to some of her beliefs and shapes this story.

Kinkaid's portrayal of Xuela, the protagonist, as flawed but not devoid of deep introspection and questioning was my favorite aspect of this character study. It starts off as a story about grief. Xuela's mother dies during childbirth so she never gets to meet or bind with her. However, the grief of love that develops stays with her & shapes her relationships with people & ties her closely to her island's history with colonization. Even Xuela questions her grief all the time because she doesn't understand how she can feel such great loss over someone she never met. She questions what love is and what it feels like. It makes her an observer of life at times, rather than a participant. This very grief also makes her have fierce autonomy over her own body, shapes her feminism, & keeps her from getting too close to anyone.

Kindkaid masterfully tackles these main themes:
🌴 lasting impacts of colonization in the Caribbean
🌴 autonomy over sex & female bodies & ability to birth
🌴 the exploration of the meaning of love
🌴 grief from the womb, absent parents, lack of love
🌴 how absence of love shapes people
🌴 mixed identities and power
🌴 older men preying on young girls
🌴 how grief makes you an observer

Ultimately the writing keeps you hooked. It was keeps you moving forward through the darkness of this book. Kinkaid makes excellent choices in how she tells this story & it is one that you have to experience personally in order to fully understand how powerful it is. Every line is intentional & makes you question what you think you know. ( )
  Booklover217 | Jul 4, 2021 |
Amazing when you think of the symbolism and weight behind the words, but the words themselves, and the narrator saying them, were insufferable. ( )
  irrelephant | Feb 21, 2021 |
i used to like kincaid but i think that was her non-fiction. this was boring- -very little happens. a lot about her sex life. ( )
  mahallett | Apr 11, 2018 |
Showing 1-5 of 14 (next | show all)
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Per a Derek Walcott
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La meva mare va morir en el moment que vaig néixe jo, pe això en tota la meva vida no hi ha hagut res que s'hagi interposat entre la meva pesona i l'eternitat; sempre he tingut al darrere un vent orc i negre.
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This book is a work of fiction. If you have tagged it as a biography or non-fiction, please read the title page of your book where it states that this book is a work of fiction.
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The West Indian narrator vents her bitterness at the unhappy life fate dealt her--mother died in childbirth, father ignored her, stepmother tried to kill her, at school she had an abortion. Finally, she married a white doctor, but it was impossible for her to love him because he was a colonialist. She draws parallels with the despair of her country--Dominica--attributing it to the legacy of slavery. By the author of Lucy.

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