Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Memoirs of Women

  • PORTRAIT Of A FEMINIST: A Memoir in Essays by Marianna Marlowe – Feminism, Memoirs of Women, Essay Collections

     

    Marianne Marlowe’s memoir, Portrait of a Feminist, reveals the evolution of her feminism through a collection of thought-provoking essays.

    “I would say, if it were possible, I was born a feminist” is at the heart of Marlowe’s story. She relates to this defining identity throughout years spent in Peru, California, and Ecuador, where she navigates childhood, marriage, motherhood, and a professional career.

    The section titles reflect periods in Marlowe’s life that correspond to nature’s rhythms—“Seeds Planted”, “The Growing Years”, “Maturation”, and “Harvesting”—and maintain strong connections between her thematically-linked experiences.

    As a Peruvian American woman, Marlowe navigates the concepts of gender, race, and culture from a personal and critical point of view.

    In one instance, Marlowe feels pressured by her family to adopt the perspective that men can’t be expected to be faithful. When her adulterous cousin attempts to buy back his wife’s affection with a gold Rolex, the wife divorces him. Although Marlowe feels guilty for betraying her family’s beliefs, she ultimately finds satisfaction with this conclusion to her cousin’s marriage. Marlowe’s use of Spanish dialogue also lends authenticity and cultural flair to her work.

    Marlowe approaches meaningful topics from domestic abuse and inequality in marriage to definitions of beauty and women’s rights—or lack thereof—in patriarchal religions, contextualizing them within her observations and her interactions with family, friends, and strangers. This grounded approach makes her writing both candid and intimate.

    As teacher and mentor to a new generation, Marlowe’s ideals come full circle as she challenges readers to reflect on the principles of feminism and their continued evolution in today’s society.

    From deciding whether or not to take her husband’s surname in marriage to the stress of raising two boys who will eventually leave home to face a world enmeshed in inequality, Marlowe’s smart and sobering writing urges us forward to fight for an important caus`e.

    For those drawn to deeply personal memoirs that evoke a nuanced understanding of male and female equality, Portrait of a Feminist proves a rich and rewarding experience.”

     

  • DIAMOND: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan by Etsuko Diamond Miyagi – Inspiring Memoir, Post-WWII East Asia, Memoirs of Women, Resilience

    In a world ravaged by conflict and loss, Etsuko Diamond Miyagi’s memoir, Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan is a shining testament to the beauty of love and the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity.

    Etsuko enjoys a peaceful childhood on the Philippine island of Mindanao, where her father owns an abacá plantation. But they are not safe when guerilla forces destroy her village murdering everyone and leaving her as the sole survivor. This deeply personal narrative of grief chronicles Etsuko’s harrowing journey to find solace and joy after the death of her parents.

    At first, passed from house to house, Etsuko is forced to work as a domestic servant until a kind family takes her in. However, her safety and survival is once again in danger when she’s forced to leave her adopted family and take a position at Chief Doming Apostol’s estate in Magpet. It is there Etsuko receives the name ‘Diamond.’

    Diamond works for years in the Apostol household where not all is terrible. She forms a loving bond as the caretaker for the youngest of the children. When their father is imprisoned, the household falls apart, but Diamond stays.

    In part, she has nowhere else to go, but mostly she stays for the children, abandoned by Doming’s wife after her husband’s incarceration.

    Three years later, Chief Doming returns, and Diamond officially becomes the children’s nanny—then Doming’s wife. Their marriage grows into a deep love, with many children added to the family. Political tensions during the 1960s and 1970s again threaten Diamond’s life. When tragedy strikes she again puts the safety and survival of her family first.

    The countless pressures and hard work in spite of them results in a strength created in much the same way as Diamond’s namesake.

    Decades after the devastating war and displacement that took her family, Diamond encounters a Japanese couple searching for their own long lost family members and, through them, she discovers information that fills in the gaps in her younger life. She learns where she came from, whether or not any family members still exist, and her birthname—Etsuko Miyagi.

    Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan shines as a richly composed memoir of inner strength and resilient love.

    With raw and evocative prose, Miyagi recounts the quagmire of heartache and despair of her early years. But she also reveals the remarkable path her life takes towards healing and happiness. Through vivid storytelling and introspection, Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan offers an inspiring exploration of how one can find light in the darkest of times and emerge to show their soul’s true brilliance.

    Fans of memoirs and historical non-fiction will be satisfied and astonished by Diamond: The Memoir of a Lost Daughter of Japan. Etsuko’s story plays out in the aftermath of World War II, and with many such books focusing on Europe alone, Diamond provides a crucial historical insight  into the long-term effects of a global conflict on the people of Southeast Asia.

    Etsuko Diamond Miyagi tells the true story of the creation of a diamond who finds a way to glow bright with love and humility.