House of Sticks by Ly Tran, a review by RantingLunatic
A haunting memoir of the author’s experience with poverty, this shows the failure of government systems for immigrants in the United States.
The overt racism experienced by the author and her family shames me to be an American. This family showed what happens when a war refugee is displaced (albeit for the right reasons) without any type of help – emotionally, psychologically or otherwise.
The author shows the damage of inherited trauma – specifically her father’s ptsd – and how it affects the following generations. She expresses how her dark depression influenced her upbringing, while caught in Asian culture while living in the US.
I do wish the author had included specific years and dates (ages of the characters, dates or at least years for historical connection.
I felt like this was being written about someone else, because at times the writing style distant and unemotional, like the author wasn’t experiencing it herself.
Overall, this memoir moved me and will change how I feel about how I and others react to immigrants.
4.5 out of 5 stars.