MEMOIR

Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me

by Glory Edim
Ballantine. Oct. 2024. 288p. ISBN 9780525619796. $28. MEMOIR
COPY ISBN
Edim (founder, Well-Read Black Girl; On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library) penned a highly personal memoir about growing up outside Washington, DC, the oldest of three children of Nigerian immigrant parents. She often found herself assuming the role of adult after her father returned to Nigeria and also during the years her mother experienced severe depression. She shares how books became an escape and a classroom, too. Her book is most compelling when she describes her interactions with these books, including the ways she interpreted them initially and reinterpreted them upon subsequent readings. Engaging with the texts of Toni Morrison, bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and others helped Edim determine how to best assert her own visions of love, strength, family, and freedom.
VERDICT This title is a strong and welcome addition to the genre of biblio-memoirs. Give to fans of Alberto Manguel’s Packing My Library, Hamlet’s Dresser by Bob Smith, and Sixpence House by Paul Collins.
Reviewed by Jessica Epstein , Aug 09, 2024
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

NONFICTION

Homing: Instincts of a Rustbelt Feminist
by Flick, Sherrie
NONFICTION

Damn Glad To Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches
by Matheson, Tim
NONFICTION

I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying: A Memoir
by Mayer, Youngmi
NONFICTION

Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman
by Hutchison, Patrick
NONFICTION

Growing Up Urkel
by White, Jaleel
NONFICTION

Lovely One
by Jackson, Ketanji Brown
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?