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A review by sometimesbryce
All at Sea: A Memoir by Decca Aitkenhead
4.0
I received this book for free from the publisher as part of a Goodreads giveaway. This is no way affected my thoughts on this book
There is something akin to privilege, and something immediately humbling, in reading something that wasn't written to be read. In the prologue, Decca Aitkenhead makes it clear that this book is not for us, and whether or not we forget it isn't of concern to her. I wish I could sum up my gratitude for a book written with that magnitude of honesty. This isn't a memoir written for income or for fame or for setting the record straight; it is a story that is written so that it may be told, and that is so refreshing, so revolutionary simple, I felt like it was worth mentioning before anything else.
Had this been a simple story about random tragedy, and a family attempting to put the pieces back together afterwards, All at Sea would have been worth it. But Aitkenhead exceeds the expected. This is a book about unfathomable loss and the grief that accompanies it, yes, but it's also about race and the cultural flexibility inherent in interracial relationships. It's about love and family, the ones we're born into and the ones we make. It's about trauma and healing and real life character development, all everyday miracles we overlook.
Aitkenhead's story is beautifully and attentively crafted. Her grief is palpable on every page and her skill as a storyteller, revealing the many facets of her love and loss of her partner, is undeniable. The only bad thing I have to say about it is that Aitkenhead writes so intelligently, I noticed a lack of intimacy I'm familiar with in memoirs. Her background in journalism and academia shows, which isn't a bad thing, though it does take some time to get used to. While I eventually became captivated with this, reading half the book in a single sitting, it did take me a while to get into.
Overall though, All at Sea is a refreshing addition to the genre, and while it is wise, it is never pretentious. Though I received this book for free, I would have gladly paid full price for it.
There is something akin to privilege, and something immediately humbling, in reading something that wasn't written to be read. In the prologue, Decca Aitkenhead makes it clear that this book is not for us, and whether or not we forget it isn't of concern to her. I wish I could sum up my gratitude for a book written with that magnitude of honesty. This isn't a memoir written for income or for fame or for setting the record straight; it is a story that is written so that it may be told, and that is so refreshing, so revolutionary simple, I felt like it was worth mentioning before anything else.
Had this been a simple story about random tragedy, and a family attempting to put the pieces back together afterwards, All at Sea would have been worth it. But Aitkenhead exceeds the expected. This is a book about unfathomable loss and the grief that accompanies it, yes, but it's also about race and the cultural flexibility inherent in interracial relationships. It's about love and family, the ones we're born into and the ones we make. It's about trauma and healing and real life character development, all everyday miracles we overlook.
Aitkenhead's story is beautifully and attentively crafted. Her grief is palpable on every page and her skill as a storyteller, revealing the many facets of her love and loss of her partner, is undeniable. The only bad thing I have to say about it is that Aitkenhead writes so intelligently, I noticed a lack of intimacy I'm familiar with in memoirs. Her background in journalism and academia shows, which isn't a bad thing, though it does take some time to get used to. While I eventually became captivated with this, reading half the book in a single sitting, it did take me a while to get into.
Overall though, All at Sea is a refreshing addition to the genre, and while it is wise, it is never pretentious. Though I received this book for free, I would have gladly paid full price for it.