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428 reviews for:
This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America
Morgan Jerkins
4.02 AVERAGE
428 reviews for:
This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America
Morgan Jerkins
4.02 AVERAGE
3.5 stars.
Also, for the audiobook I don't think the author was the best choice to be the narrator
Also, for the audiobook I don't think the author was the best choice to be the narrator
I received this book through @antiracistbookexchange (go check them out!). This was a decent read. Each chapter was very different and some of them I liked a lot more than others.
I had a lot of feelings (positive and negative) while reading this book and don't know how to boil down my thoughts into a number rating
"These differences are best articulated when women of color occupy the center of the discourse while white women remain silent, actively listen, and do not try to reinforce supremacy by inserting themselves in the middle of the discussion."
Listened to this as an audiobook and I’m glad I did. It’s narrated by the author, which I always appreciate. I couldn’t stop listening. It will make you think and, if you’re a white woman like me, it’ll probably make you feel (appropriately) like an ashole. Nothing can change without accepting the past, our entire racist past, and our personal role as undeservingly privileged white people. We have to keep reading even when it stings, really especially when it stings, so that we move forward with intention and our focus on ending racism and racist practices. As other readers have noted, Jerkins’s book is particularly powerful because it centers her personal experience as a Black woman in America - the best essays were the personal ones that allowed us to see the world from Jerkins’s perspective. I do think the book could have benefited from additional editing - it could sometimes feel a little disorganized.
Chapters 2 and 9 are everything! I need to re read over and over again.
I expected to really love this and didn't. The writing felt a bit immature and repetitive at times. Others have pointed out some of Jerkins' inconsistencies in how she talked about vs reacted to street harassment, which I don't think makes her hypocritical, but I would have liked that...disconnect? I don't know what to call it, but would have liked it explored further.
Her tone was also a bit overly moralizing and absolute, which grated a bit. I completely understand the dichotomy of white women being the representation of purity vs BIPOC women, but it felt a bit too binary in her exploration. I also wanted a further exploration of her privilege and how she moved through the world, which felt a bit surface level at times. She does explore it, but I couldn't connected all the threads she was weaving together. It came off as disjointed rather than cohesive.
I think my expectations were just off the mark for this one. I was craving something a little more rigorous and/or academic and this was much more personal and insecure at times. I'd like to read her again when she is feeling secure in her career.
Her tone was also a bit overly moralizing and absolute, which grated a bit. I completely understand the dichotomy of white women being the representation of purity vs BIPOC women, but it felt a bit too binary in her exploration. I also wanted a further exploration of her privilege and how she moved through the world, which felt a bit surface level at times. She does explore it, but I couldn't connected all the threads she was weaving together. It came off as disjointed rather than cohesive.
I think my expectations were just off the mark for this one. I was craving something a little more rigorous and/or academic and this was much more personal and insecure at times. I'd like to read her again when she is feeling secure in her career.
I listened to this book (read by author) and I loved it. She is fierce, as in unapologetic and bold and honest. I was inspired, even (I think) chastised (?) but overall I enjoyed these essays. Recommend.
This debut signals the arrival of a prodigious new talent. Looking forward to reading whatever she writes next.