Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir
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- Create Date：2021-07-29 06:52:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Natasha Trethewey
- ISBN：0062248588
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Summary
An Instant New York Times Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Book
One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2020
Named One of the Best Books of the Year by: The Washington Post， NPR， Shelf Awareness， Esquire， Electric Literature， Slate， The Los Angeles Times， USA Today， and InStyle
A chillingly personal and exquisitely wrought memoir of a daughter reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather， and the moving， intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of a tragedy
At age nineteen， Natasha Trethewey had her world turned upside down when her former stepfather shot and killed her mother。 Grieving and still new to adulthood， she confronted the twin pulls of life and death in the aftermath of unimaginable trauma and now explores the way this experience lastingly shaped the artist she became。
With penetrating insight and a searing voice that moves from the wrenching to the elegiac， Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Natasha Trethewey explores this profound experience of pain， loss， and grief as an entry point into understanding the tragic course of her mother’s life and the way her own life has been shaped by a legacy of fierce love and resilience。 Moving through her mother’s history in the deeply segregated South and through her own girlhood as a “child of miscegenation” in Mississippi， Trethewey plumbs her sense of dislocation and displacement in the lead-up to the harrowing crime that took place on Memorial Drive in Atlanta in 1985。
Memorial Drive is a compelling and searching look at a shared human experience of sudden loss and absence but also a piercing glimpse at the enduring ripple effects of white racism and domestic abuse。 Animated by unforgettable prose and inflected by a poet’s attention to language， this is a luminous， urgent， and visceral memoir from one of our most important contemporary writers and thinkers。
A New York Times Notable Book
One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2020
Named One of the Best Books of the Year by: The Washington Post， NPR， Shelf Awareness， Esquire， Electric Literature， Slate， The Los Angeles Times， USA Today， and InStyle
A chillingly personal and exquisitely wrought memoir of a daughter reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather， and the moving， intimate story of a poet coming into her own in the wake of a tragedy
At age nineteen， Natasha Trethewey had her world turned upside down when her former stepfather shot and killed her mother。 Grieving and still new to adulthood， she confronted the twin pulls of life and death in the aftermath of unimaginable trauma and now explores the way this experience lastingly shaped the artist she became。
With penetrating insight and a searing voice that moves from the wrenching to the elegiac， Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Natasha Trethewey explores this profound experience of pain， loss， and grief as an entry point into understanding the tragic course of her mother’s life and the way her own life has been shaped by a legacy of fierce love and resilience。 Moving through her mother’s history in the deeply segregated South and through her own girlhood as a “child of miscegenation” in Mississippi， Trethewey plumbs her sense of dislocation and displacement in the lead-up to the harrowing crime that took place on Memorial Drive in Atlanta in 1985。
Memorial Drive is a compelling and searching look at a shared human experience of sudden loss and absence but also a piercing glimpse at the enduring ripple effects of white racism and domestic abuse。 Animated by unforgettable prose and inflected by a poet’s attention to language， this is a luminous， urgent， and visceral memoir from one of our most important contemporary writers and thinkers。
Reviews
Barbara
，
Excellent memoir， evocative and heartbreaking。
Daniela Carvalho Dias
，
My beloved friend Marc H。 sent me this book and said “huni， it’s one of Obama’s favorite books of 2020”， and of course I started reading it immediately。Then， I’ve got no words to describe the experience of reading this memoir…In “Memorial Drive”， Natasha Trethewey evokes her childhood memories and confronts her mother’s murder。Natasha is a poet。 So， it is powerful。It opens like this “Three weeks after my mother is dead I dream of her…”It is sad， brutal， devastating， a daughter’s memoir that show My beloved friend Marc H。 sent me this book and said “huni， it’s one of Obama’s favorite books of 2020”， and of course I started reading it immediately。Then， I’ve got no words to describe the experience of reading this memoir…In “Memorial Drive”， Natasha Trethewey evokes her childhood memories and confronts her mother’s murder。Natasha is a poet。 So， it is powerful。It opens like this “Three weeks after my mother is dead I dream of her…”It is sad， brutal， devastating， a daughter’s memoir that shows resistance， grief， struggle and more…You can listen to the southern echoes， the spaces， the chosen words… you can see all the exploration of a Black mother and daughter trying to get free in a land that kills and destroys women… girls… Black women， Black girls… 。。。more
Jessica
，
Have a box of tissues nearby while you read this。
Alex Liuzzi
，
3。4 - the prose can be beautiful at times， and undoubtably a powerful story。 But the phone transcript was the most powerful， and the book seemed broken between a memoir of growing up mixed race in the south and a tale of domestic violence。 Either way， both important and well told， with essential insights into how domestic concerns must be taken seriously。
Melissa
，
It seems awkward to say， I liked this book。 It’s a difficult read due to the subject matter。 But it is written beautifully， as to be expected from Trethewey。 The language here is just as lyrical and searing as her poetry。 It has that poise and clarity that she has。 The memoir discusses metaphor， memory， and trauma， much like her poetry— but in this form， it’s even more raw and haunting。
Kaitlyn Joy
，
Gorgeous writingreview to coming
Joanna Jann
，
This book is painful， especially for survivors of childhood domestic abuse。 But that is also why it resonates so powerfully。 A beautiful， harrowing read。
Susan
，
Such a sad and preventable story， it is a memoir of a life stolen but also reveals a Black mother - daughter relationship in a racist society。 The language is perfect， making it a rewarding read。 Trethewey moves amonog voices and times， as she works through guilt， loss and sorrow。
Anna Cragon
，
Audiobook， July 2021 book club
Julie Stoops
，
A quick and easy read that was a terrible tragedy。 I couldn’t get past feeling like something was missing， and I found the ending very abrupt and out of place。
Marsha Rafalski
，
This book is a memoir rich in description， character development， and courage。 I guess it takes a Poet Laureate with a Pulitzer Prize to string words together so it weaves a spell for the reader。Natasha Trethewey lost her mother when she was nineteen to a brutal vicious attack by her stepfather， Joel Grimmette。 Gwendolyn passionately loved her daughter from a previous marriage and her son with Joel。 What we see is a growing mixed race child while she has to deal with a violent stepfather in addi This book is a memoir rich in description， character development， and courage。 I guess it takes a Poet Laureate with a Pulitzer Prize to string words together so it weaves a spell for the reader。Natasha Trethewey lost her mother when she was nineteen to a brutal vicious attack by her stepfather， Joel Grimmette。 Gwendolyn passionately loved her daughter from a previous marriage and her son with Joel。 What we see is a growing mixed race child while she has to deal with a violent stepfather in addition to everything else that is part of teenage years。 Gwendolyn walks a tight rope through a day-to-day assault。 We see domestic violence more clearly than ever through Natasha’s narrative。This book is one of the best memoirs I have ever read。 It draws out all of the emotions across the spectrum。 I laughed and I cried。 I know most people will be enmeshed in the racial issues。 But Trethewey uses her skill to display the tender bond between a mother and daughter。 It shows the ugliness of domestic violence but， but when all is said and done， this is a daughter’s empathy， love， and a tender goodbye to a truly extraordinary mother。 I don’t give very many 5 stars but this is one。 。。。more
Lobstergirl
，
Chilling。Natasha Trethewey's mother had fled with her two children from an abusive husband。 The district attorney's office was taping her phone conversations with him so they could issue an arrest warrant。 But two days after this call， he would murder her。J: Do you want me to come pick you up？G: No。J: Why？G: Joel， I told you， I'm afraid to be around you。J: I know that， but the only way you're gonna overcome that fear is to be around me。----G: Joel， you just can't force people into doing what you Chilling。Natasha Trethewey's mother had fled with her two children from an abusive husband。 The district attorney's office was taping her phone conversations with him so they could issue an arrest warrant。 But two days after this call， he would murder her。J: Do you want me to come pick you up？G: No。J: Why？G: Joel， I told you， I'm afraid to be around you。J: I know that， but the only way you're gonna overcome that fear is to be around me。----G: Joel， you just can't force people into doing what you want them to do。J: Quit stalling， Gwen， just give me an answer。G: That's my answer。J: So you don't want to live。----J: When will I get a chance to see you， to sit down and talk to you？G: My preference would be in the presence of a third party， because I'm， I'm still terrified。J: No， that's not gonna work。G: Why？J: The third party could be Joey [their young son]。 And the first few times you're gonna be afraid， you're gonna be nervous。 I'm gonna be nervous。 But it's gonna also be exciting。G: It's not going to be exciting， it's going to be terrifying。 And you just， just better well realize that。J: It's gonna be great。 And， and in the long run， you'll learn to like me and then you'll learn to love me。 。。。more
Kathy Piselli
，
Sobering for me， since all the Atlanta places mentioned are places I know。 It's prose， but a poet's prose。 You can't read it without getting sucked under and whammed。 What a voyage it must have taken for Trethewey to write it。 I had to look， and saw that Grimmette has been out on parole since 2019。 Perhaps it was felt that at age 72 he would no longer be a threat， but the effect of what he did is long lasting。。。for all of us now。 Sobering for me， since all the Atlanta places mentioned are places I know。 It's prose， but a poet's prose。 You can't read it without getting sucked under and whammed。 What a voyage it must have taken for Trethewey to write it。 I had to look， and saw that Grimmette has been out on parole since 2019。 Perhaps it was felt that at age 72 he would no longer be a threat， but the effect of what he did is long lasting。。。for all of us now。 。。。more
Homeschoolmama
，
Poignant memoir of a biracial woman who survived her mother’s murder。 Superb， poetic writing。
Tessyohnka
，
Trethewey’s memoir is written with intelligence and eloquence — it is a beautiful tribute to her mother。
Glen Helfand
，
"To survive trauma， one must be able to tell a story about it。" Natasha Trethewey's memoir revolves around a deeply resonant act: the murder of her mother by her stepfather。 Trethewey is a poet， and it has taken more than thirty years to process that trauma， at least to the distilled way she writes of it in this cogent， powerful book。 She links memories， both idyllic and quietly terrifying， and leads us to the act， incorporating some official transcripts， a strategy that catalyzes so much of wha "To survive trauma， one must be able to tell a story about it。" Natasha Trethewey's memoir revolves around a deeply resonant act: the murder of her mother by her stepfather。 Trethewey is a poet， and it has taken more than thirty years to process that trauma， at least to the distilled way she writes of it in this cogent， powerful book。 She links memories， both idyllic and quietly terrifying， and leads us to the act， incorporating some official transcripts， a strategy that catalyzes so much of what has come before。 There are recurring dreams that illustrate how the murder sunk into her psyche。 By focusing the book on the ripple effects of this act， and not the other details of her life， allows her story to resonate far beyond her own life。 。。。more
Regan Young
，
A bit of a slow start， but this had me in tears by the end。
Joe
，
Raw， emotional recounting by Trethewey of her family history， which lead to the murder of her mother by her stepfather when she was nineteen。 Very personal and devastating。
Barbara Skalberg
，
3。5
Nicola Morris
，
Exceptional book。 Hooked me in and I couldn’t put it down。 Fantastic writing。 Will definitely look into other titles by the author。
Sara
，
Read this with my memoir group and we all rated it highly。 Trethewey's writing is gripping， but without the bitterness or self-pity that often accompanies memoirs。 It's honest， vulnerable， and heartbreaking， while remaining somewhat detached by the decades that separate her from the events that she writes about。 I wish that the author had included a few of the family photos that she references with such detail and significance。 Read this with my memoir group and we all rated it highly。 Trethewey's writing is gripping， but without the bitterness or self-pity that often accompanies memoirs。 It's honest， vulnerable， and heartbreaking， while remaining somewhat detached by the decades that separate her from the events that she writes about。 I wish that the author had included a few of the family photos that she references with such detail and significance。 。。。more
Rebecca Ray
，
Moving and beautifully written
Ellen H
，
A truly gripping story that I read almost in one go。 I could have done with a little less "writerly" writing， but her pain pushes through a lot of that。 I don't think I'll forget it soon。 A truly gripping story that I read almost in one go。 I could have done with a little less "writerly" writing， but her pain pushes through a lot of that。 I don't think I'll forget it soon。 。。。more
Lynn B
，
Was jut OK。
Pam Hurd
，
Beautifully written recounting of a the horrendous murder of a young lady's mother by her stepfather。 I cannot imagine having the courage to tell this story but Natasha Trethewey does it so well。 Bravo！ Beautifully written recounting of a the horrendous murder of a young lady's mother by her stepfather。 I cannot imagine having the courage to tell this story but Natasha Trethewey does it so well。 Bravo！ 。。。more
Nina
，
This book was heartbreaking。 Natasha Trethewey is a masterful poet and a master of narrative as well。 We know from her poetry and from the book jacket what the story is， but the way that she circles around it， interweaving evidence， memory， even a visit to a medium， is amazing。 The way she tells the story emphasizes just how preventable her mother's murder was--that the police/legal system was negligent。 This tragedy was utterly preventable--all this heartbreak and devastation was avoidable。 A v This book was heartbreaking。 Natasha Trethewey is a masterful poet and a master of narrative as well。 We know from her poetry and from the book jacket what the story is， but the way that she circles around it， interweaving evidence， memory， even a visit to a medium， is amazing。 The way she tells the story emphasizes just how preventable her mother's murder was--that the police/legal system was negligent。 This tragedy was utterly preventable--all this heartbreak and devastation was avoidable。 A very American tragedy， and a subtle critique of racism in these systems。 。。。more
Kate
，
I find it difficult to be asked to rate this book， a baring of such incredible pain。 How do you read or hear someone's great， irremediable hurt and give it a rating？So I did， but what does it mean？ Was the book well written？ Yes。 Was it hard to read？ Yes， gut sucking hard。 Yet， was it easy to read？ Yes， in that I could not put it down but twice， if only to breathe and weep。 Did it slap me in the face or was it subtle？ Both。 The story would not have had it any other way。Would I like to meet， to g I find it difficult to be asked to rate this book， a baring of such incredible pain。 How do you read or hear someone's great， irremediable hurt and give it a rating？So I did， but what does it mean？ Was the book well written？ Yes。 Was it hard to read？ Yes， gut sucking hard。 Yet， was it easy to read？ Yes， in that I could not put it down but twice， if only to breathe and weep。 Did it slap me in the face or was it subtle？ Both。 The story would not have had it any other way。Would I like to meet， to get to know Natasha Trethewey？ Yes， yes。Are there things I would like to ask Natasha Trethewey？ In addition to， how is she， how is she？ Yes， there are questions I have， peeking through the doors she has only half opened （wisely）。 Will it put a new light on her poetry for me？ I don't know。 I will find out。 。。。more
Debbie Poland MacAvoy
，
Well written， engaging， and heartwrenching memoir。
Kristine
，
This was a short book and very compelling。 Difficult subject but delivered poetically - especially via audio。 The author narrates her own story and it’s truly haunting！ Very sad considering her mother did everything she could do to protect herself and her children - It wasn’t clear to me if Big Joe is still alive/in jail/or what。 Looking forward to book club discussions on this one。
Connor Jenkins
，