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A review by janeneal
This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jerkins
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.