I just finished And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott. I kept thinking I would abandon it because it is such a good look at the mind of a suffering woman that it overwhelmed me. There's a combination of racism, sexism, and, as the author states "sanityism". All you need to do is enter Alice's mind to know you don't want to live there, but even in her paranoia and self-hatred she makes sense. I'll probably read more by Elliott, but it will be with trepidation. ( )

"Whenever she falls, they will prepare the space for her to land. Just as she will for them, your mother, your sister, and you. This is the connection and love that slides between all hardships and gives even the toughest life humor, meaning, heart, heft. This is the unspoken covenant of Native women."

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott was an incredible read. Elliott's storytelling was spellbinding and I enjoyed the way she blended elements of horror, sci-fi and mystery I to this tale. Alice was a captivating protagonist and one I won't easily forget. This one tackled heavy themes of Native motherhood, mental illness, racism, alcoholism, forced removal and adoption of babies, MMIW2S issues, cultural appropriation and erasure of history in academia and white savior complex. The way Eliott personified these as true horror was so vivid that I felt like I was in Alice's mind and thoughts the while time. I felt her dread and mistrust. I couldn't help but relate to her concerns about her sanity and motherhood because BIPOC people always have their fitness to parent scrutinized by racist white people. Native peoples especially have a long history of having rheir children taken away forever.

I was not expecting the time shift and plot twist towards the last section of the book, but this was brought the main themes full circle. This is where you see the resilience of Native women and their unwavering support for each other. Here is where you see how it is through their Native ways of life and connection to their community that they support each other through healing their traumas. It is also how they support and protect each other. Elliott also notes that Native women also get hurt by Native men, not just outsiders. For the women in this story, their medicine is each other and this is the legacy they leave to future generations. The key to their survival is to stay connected to their roots.

This is the first of Elliott's books I read but I am so excited to read her other books because her writing style really spotlights the power of Native storytelling. Her voice is commanding, authentic and takes up all the space in a room. I highly recommend you read this one. ( )