NONFICTION

Not for Everyday Use: A Memoir

by Elizabeth Nunez
Akashic. Apr. 2014. 256p. ISBN 9781617752346. $24.95; pap. ISBN 9781617752339. $15.95; ebk. ISBN 9781617752780. LIT
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For Nunez (writing, Hunter Coll., CUNY; Boundaries; Anna In-Between), growing up on a Caribbean island was not easy. Her parents had high expectations for her and her eight siblings. Here, she focuses on the four days after her mother's death when the family gathers in Trinidad. As she goes about comforting her 90-year-old father, interacting with her siblings, and preparing for the funeral, she recalls growing up under colonialism, being sent to the United States for college, and eventually becoming a professor. Repeatedly, she marvels at her parents' long and loving 65-year marriage, especially in light of their offspring's divorces and annulments. Besides being a time to mourn her mother, the visit provided Nunez the opportunity to reflect on and forgive her parents for not showing their love for her as she would have wished.
VERDICT Through her thoughtful and articulate writing, Nunez offers a valuable perspective on the racism that she experienced, even in America, and the damage the Catholic Church does to women who follow the "no artificial birth control" rule. Recommended for memoir enthusiasts and readers interested in Caribbean literature.
Reviewed by Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo , Feb 01, 2014
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