Review by BreathofFreshAriel -- The Land of Sunshine and...
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BreathofFreshAriel
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Review by BreathofFreshAriel -- The Land of Sunshine and...
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Land of Sunshine and Hell" by Maxene Raices.]
Maxene Raices’ memoir outlines her experience as an unwed mother in the 1960s, a time when it was all too often considered taboo to even speak about sexual feelings, let alone act on them. When Max becomes pregnant at 17, she doesn't even think that what she had done with her high school sweetheart was sex. However, here she was with too few options, and a support system only willing to cover up her indiscretion. The next year she would be hidden from the view of everyone she knew; lying became her new way of life to hide the shame of her mistake. Guilt and regret consumed her world into her adult life, making even the sweet moments in her life question whether she was on the right path. An eventual reunion with her daughter that she was forced to give up all those years ago brought her to accepting her past without remorse, and with a newfound family full of support she comes to an understanding that her story is a story to be shared.
I give The Land of Hell and Sunshine 2 out 4 stars. If I had been allowed to award half-points I would have given this memoir 2.5 stars; I truly enjoyed the author's attitude and I felt her message was important, however, I think it could have benefitted from a more diverse vocabulary. Despite some repetitive words, her can-do attitude is something everyone can get on board with. I felt this rating was appropriate because while I enjoyed the book, I felt it was slow-going and repetitive at parts. Not that life is full of velocity, but rather the life of Maxene was full of significance that I felt should have been pronounced. There were several instances of long and lingering language surrounding things of no importance. I found the author went into great detail about characters that were mentioned only a few times or about the particular setting of the room or place that she was in.
The details are important of course, but it should not be exhaustive. Giving too much detail to persons or places that don’t contribute to the plot of the memoir gives the reader the feeling that something must be significant when it turns out it was just a minor-subplot written in excruciating detail. Going along with too much detail, I found there were a lot of drawn-out sentences with many commas that at times seemed excessive and sometimes confusing. I think it would have been better to have used a few keywords that made use of imagery rather than merely listing all the descriptors of an object or person. Overall, the book was well edited. There were certainly mistakes, but not too many as to seem sloppy or unprofessional. It was certainly readable.
My final thoughts on the memoir are of admiration to the author for telling her story. It takes no small amount of courage to put oneself out there, especially when there are perceived limits around what can be talked about in full view of everyone else. This book will no doubt be a favorite to women old and young. As we are experiencing another strong wave of feminism throughout the U.S. and the world, we need leading voices to not only speak hopefully of the future but to share with us glimpses of the past, a past we can learn from. We cannot hide our faces from the truth. In the words of the author “Is honesty such a difficult burden that lying feels better?” This is a memoir about love and loss, a lifetime of bittersweet moments, and an exclamation that the truth will always prevail.
******
The Land of Sunshine and Hell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Maxene Raices’ memoir outlines her experience as an unwed mother in the 1960s, a time when it was all too often considered taboo to even speak about sexual feelings, let alone act on them. When Max becomes pregnant at 17, she doesn't even think that what she had done with her high school sweetheart was sex. However, here she was with too few options, and a support system only willing to cover up her indiscretion. The next year she would be hidden from the view of everyone she knew; lying became her new way of life to hide the shame of her mistake. Guilt and regret consumed her world into her adult life, making even the sweet moments in her life question whether she was on the right path. An eventual reunion with her daughter that she was forced to give up all those years ago brought her to accepting her past without remorse, and with a newfound family full of support she comes to an understanding that her story is a story to be shared.
I give The Land of Hell and Sunshine 2 out 4 stars. If I had been allowed to award half-points I would have given this memoir 2.5 stars; I truly enjoyed the author's attitude and I felt her message was important, however, I think it could have benefitted from a more diverse vocabulary. Despite some repetitive words, her can-do attitude is something everyone can get on board with. I felt this rating was appropriate because while I enjoyed the book, I felt it was slow-going and repetitive at parts. Not that life is full of velocity, but rather the life of Maxene was full of significance that I felt should have been pronounced. There were several instances of long and lingering language surrounding things of no importance. I found the author went into great detail about characters that were mentioned only a few times or about the particular setting of the room or place that she was in.
The details are important of course, but it should not be exhaustive. Giving too much detail to persons or places that don’t contribute to the plot of the memoir gives the reader the feeling that something must be significant when it turns out it was just a minor-subplot written in excruciating detail. Going along with too much detail, I found there were a lot of drawn-out sentences with many commas that at times seemed excessive and sometimes confusing. I think it would have been better to have used a few keywords that made use of imagery rather than merely listing all the descriptors of an object or person. Overall, the book was well edited. There were certainly mistakes, but not too many as to seem sloppy or unprofessional. It was certainly readable.
My final thoughts on the memoir are of admiration to the author for telling her story. It takes no small amount of courage to put oneself out there, especially when there are perceived limits around what can be talked about in full view of everyone else. This book will no doubt be a favorite to women old and young. As we are experiencing another strong wave of feminism throughout the U.S. and the world, we need leading voices to not only speak hopefully of the future but to share with us glimpses of the past, a past we can learn from. We cannot hide our faces from the truth. In the words of the author “Is honesty such a difficult burden that lying feels better?” This is a memoir about love and loss, a lifetime of bittersweet moments, and an exclamation that the truth will always prevail.
******
The Land of Sunshine and Hell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
"We don't see things how they are, we see them as we are."
- Rabbi Shemuel ben Nachmani, as quoted in the Talmudic tractate Berakhot (55b.)
- Rabbi Shemuel ben Nachmani, as quoted in the Talmudic tractate Berakhot (55b.)
Latest Review: The Survival of the Richest by Dr. Anthony M. Criniti IV
