Stand in My Window: Meditations on Home and How We Make It

by LaTonya Yvette

A beautifully designed, inspiring collection of essays and photographs exploring the idea that our homes can be intentionally created spaces that evoke joy, honor our pasts, and celebrate our futures—from the beloved stylist and author of Woman of ColorHome, LaTonya Yvette has learned, is not only the physical space we occupy, but also a source of comfort, grounding and transformation. It is a reflection of communal care; a place that can hold and nurture our dreams. In Stand in My Meditations on Home and How We Make It, Yvette shares the important lessons she’s learned about creating a meaningful home, and in doing so invites readers to explore how they can do the same. In essays that examine the process of creating spaces that express one's inner joy, Yvette shows how we can make meaning  from both the places we’ve been and the objects that fill our lives. A magnolia tree in the backyard of her Brooklyn apartment at risk of being destroyed; the comforting smell of palo santo wafting through a hallway; a clothesline that recalls the resiliency of ancestors; the childhood eviction notices that prompted deeper explorations of belonging years later—these images and more serve as portals into Yvette’s most foundational lessons in love, loss, family, and self-care. In home-making.Sharing her design philosophy and the very personal experiences that helped forge it, coupled with beautiful original photographs, in each thoughtfully designed chapter Yvette walks readers through the process of creating a meaningful space by taking stock of one’s inner world, personal history, and unconscious narratives about how—and where—we think we should be. At its heart, Stand in My Window teaches us that home truly is what you make of it—in mind, body, soul, and in the lovingly curated spaces we can build for ourselves anywhere.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Essays, Biography Memoir, Photography

224 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2024

Reviews

[Lindsey Pierce · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The concept of the book is unique and one I personally haven’t seen before—part memoir, part coffee table book, part historical non-fiction, part literary review. I also like the idea of having a window into the domestic life of another person—especially one quite different from mine—paying homage to the beauty of the mundane, like house plants, pets, curtains, desks. I appreciate that Yvette wove in what appear to be minimally edited personal photos, as well as vignettes about Black history and Black writers/artists.

For me, though, the potential of the book’s concept was never fully realized by its content. Many of the essays were just a bit too mundane and long to stay engaged in, especially because I’m not familiar with the author either as a writer or as an individual, so I found myself wondering why I should care. She shared enough about her life for the book to feel intimate but not enough for it to feel compelling. There was also a consistent through line of vague but noticeable pretentiousness, where she unironically represented herself as the stereotype of a New York City hippie whose idea of escaping the concrete jungle is buying an old fixer-upper in a gentrifying suburb and burning sage as a daily practice, or flying off to Europe for a while and riding bikes along the river with baguettes.

I don’t actually mean to diminish the artistry, heart, and research that was funneled into this project, but there was simply not enough meat within its 200 packed pages for me to savor it.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una ventana que nos deja contemplar esos pedacitos de vida de LaTonya Yvette, su forma de habitar el espacio, en como este y los objetos son testigos de la cotidianidad y los lazos que se forman en ella, de su visión del hogar como un lugar desde el cual mirar tanto hacia adentro como hacia afuera, al pasado y al futuro.

[Jessica Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly, the best book i’ve read patiently for years. this was honestly a warm cup of coffee every time i opened it. beautifully written, pictures literally stopped my breath. i finished this book back in december and began reading it all over again. recommended reading for everyone. finding and living in joy is resistance. absolutely beautiful and captivating.

[Yuyu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novela breve e introspectiva que explora la mirada interior, la memoria, el duelo silencioso y la necesidad de ser vista. A través de una narración contenida y emocional, la obra utiliza la imagen de la ventana como símbolo central: un punto de observación desde el cual la protagonista contempla el mundo mientras procesa aquello que no puede —o no sabe— decir en voz alta.

La ventana funciona como metáfora de la distancia emocional. Estar de pie frente a ella implica observar sin participar plenamente, existir en un estado liminal entre el adentro y el afuera. La protagonista se encuentra suspendida entre lo que fue y lo que podría ser, incapaz de avanzar sin antes comprender su propio dolor. Yvette sugiere que, a veces, sobrevivir no es actuar, sino mirar, resistir y permitir que el tiempo haga su trabajo.

La memoria atraviesa el relato como una corriente constante. Los recuerdos no aparecen de forma ordenada, sino fragmentada, imitando la manera en que el duelo y la introspección funcionan en la vida real. La protagonista recuerda escenas, palabras y gestos mínimos que cobran un peso desproporcionado, revelando cómo lo aparentemente insignificante puede marcar profundamente.

La memoria no es refugio ni castigo: es simplemente lo que queda cuando todo lo demás se ha ido.
El duelo en la novela es íntimo y poco espectacular. No hay grandes explosiones emocionales, sino un dolor persistente que se filtra en lo cotidiano. Yvette retrata una tristeza contenida, muchas veces invisible para los demás, pero profundamente transformadora. La obra pone en valor esas formas de sufrimiento que no llaman la atención, pero que moldean silenciosamente la identidad.

La identidad de la protagonista se redefine a partir de la observación. Al mirar el mundo desde la ventana, comienza a reconocerse a sí misma: sus miedos, sus deseos no expresados y su necesidad de conexión. La novela sugiere que entender quiénes somos requiere, en ocasiones, detenernos y mirar con honestidad, incluso cuando lo que vemos resulta incómodo o doloroso.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. I really wanted to like this book, because the themes and subjects it addresses are important to me. But I found myself struggling to finish it, and every time there was a passage that I felt was really resonant, it turned out it was a quote from another author. This made me realize that the book reads a lot like a college paper, where the assignment was to write about a personal experience while incorporating cited quotations from readings assigned in a class. Once I had that impression it was hard to stay engaged. I’m glad this author is doing all the things she’s talking about in this book. I just didn’t particularly enjoy the writing.

[Mary Tharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

[Ayodele]

Recommend by In the Salon with Rubi Jones