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Il est temps que je te dise: Lettre à ma fille sur le racisme (Ecrits d'ailleurs)
Tout commence lorsque David Chariandy est victime, dans un restaurant éthique de Vancouver, d’un acte de racisme ordinaire en présence de sa fille de trois ans. Dix ans plus tard, l’élection de Donald Trump lui donne l’occasion d’adresser à sa fille désormais adolescente une lettre pour évoquer les questions universelles de l’identité et de la race. Chariandy puise dans son propre passé, dans celui de ses ancêtres afro-asiatiques et dans des épisodes concrets vécus en famille une réflexion sur l’héritage de l’esclavage, le statut de « minorité visible » et d’immigré de deuxième génération : que ressent-on lorsqu’on est considéré comme un étranger alors que l’on est né au Canada ? Lorsqu’on nous demande, inlassablement, « non, mais d’où viens-tu vraiment ? »
Né en 1969 à Toronto, David Chariandy vit aujourd’hui à Vancouver, où il enseigne à la Simon Fraser University. Il compte parmi les auteurs contemporains majeurs au Canada. À travers son premier roman, Soucougnant (Zoé. 2012, prix Baudelaire de traduction) ou plus récemment 33 tours (Zoé, 2018, finaliste du Prix littéraire des lycéens et apprentis de la Région PACA 2019), Chariandy puise son inspiration au sein de la diaspora caribéenne au Canada et traite de son intégration à la culture locale.
Né en 1969 à Toronto, David Chariandy vit aujourd’hui à Vancouver, où il enseigne à la Simon Fraser University. Il compte parmi les auteurs contemporains majeurs au Canada. À travers son premier roman, Soucougnant (Zoé. 2012, prix Baudelaire de traduction) ou plus récemment 33 tours (Zoé, 2018, finaliste du Prix littéraire des lycéens et apprentis de la Région PACA 2019), Chariandy puise son inspiration au sein de la diaspora caribéenne au Canada et traite de son intégration à la culture locale.
82 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2018
47 people are currently reading
3104 people want to read
About the author
David Chariandy
15 books373 followersDavid Chariandy is a Canadian writer and one of the co-founders of Commodore Books.
His debut novel Soucouyant was nominated for ten literary prizes and awards, including the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (longlisted), the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize (longlisted), the 2007 Governor General's Award for Fiction (finalist), the 2007 ForeWord Book of the Year Award for literary fiction from an independent press ("gold" winner), the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book of Canada and the Caribbean (shortlisted), the 2008 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize of the British Columbia Book Prizes (shortlisted), the 2008 City of Toronto Book Award (shortlisted), the 2008 "One Book, One Vancouver" of the Vancouver Public Library (shortlisted), the 2008 Relit Award for best novel from a Canadian independent press (shortlisted), and the 2007 Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award (shortlisted).
Chariandy has a MA from Carleton and a PhD from York University. He lives in Vancouver and teaches in the department of English at Simon Fraser University.
His second novel, entitled Brother, is forthcoming from McClleland and Stewart.
His debut novel Soucouyant was nominated for ten literary prizes and awards, including the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (longlisted), the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize (longlisted), the 2007 Governor General's Award for Fiction (finalist), the 2007 ForeWord Book of the Year Award for literary fiction from an independent press ("gold" winner), the 2008 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book of Canada and the Caribbean (shortlisted), the 2008 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize of the British Columbia Book Prizes (shortlisted), the 2008 City of Toronto Book Award (shortlisted), the 2008 "One Book, One Vancouver" of the Vancouver Public Library (shortlisted), the 2008 Relit Award for best novel from a Canadian independent press (shortlisted), and the 2007 Amazon.ca/Books in Canada First Novel Award (shortlisted).
Chariandy has a MA from Carleton and a PhD from York University. He lives in Vancouver and teaches in the department of English at Simon Fraser University.
His second novel, entitled Brother, is forthcoming from McClleland and Stewart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
March 9, 2019
Lately there seems to be quite a few books out by authors writing to their children. Chariandy writes here to his daughter, a daughter who is of mixed race, African Asian and white. They live in Canada and an unexpected act of bigotry prompts him to try to explain to his daughter what she might face in this world. Also explains his own background and how his life was shaped by similiarities acts.
He is in awe of his daughter, the way she goes through life, handling things, in one case protecting her younger brother. His love for her is apparent on every page of this poignant and beautifully written book. It is a book of truth, of experiences learned, of an uncertain future, and a look at how people judge others just by what's on the surface. Never bothering to look beneath, and see what is hidden. It is a timely read, with so many injustices once again or should I say always rearing their ugly head.
"You did not create the inequalities and injustices of the world, daughter. You are neither solely nor uniquely responsible to fix them. If there is anything to learn about the story of our ancestry, it is that you should respect and protect yourself; that you should demand not only justice but joy; that you should see, truly see, the vulnerability and the creativity and the enduring beauty of others."
"Being named, he found his own voice. Being sighted, he learned, nevertheless, to see."
ARC from Netgalley.
He is in awe of his daughter, the way she goes through life, handling things, in one case protecting her younger brother. His love for her is apparent on every page of this poignant and beautifully written book. It is a book of truth, of experiences learned, of an uncertain future, and a look at how people judge others just by what's on the surface. Never bothering to look beneath, and see what is hidden. It is a timely read, with so many injustices once again or should I say always rearing their ugly head.
"You did not create the inequalities and injustices of the world, daughter. You are neither solely nor uniquely responsible to fix them. If there is anything to learn about the story of our ancestry, it is that you should respect and protect yourself; that you should demand not only justice but joy; that you should see, truly see, the vulnerability and the creativity and the enduring beauty of others."
"Being named, he found his own voice. Being sighted, he learned, nevertheless, to see."
ARC from Netgalley.
June 9, 2018
First and foremost this is a loving and beautiful letter expressing an incredible deep love for a daughter cherished as the person she is and continues to develop into. Here is a father who loves his daughter unconditionally and cherishes the being that she is and will be in future. It's so lovely. This is one lucky girl. (I'm sure the entire family feels this love and cherish for each individual; it's just this book is for the daughter)
David Chariandy's writing is beautiful. His look at prejudice over the years, focussing on his family tree, is insightful and thoughtful. I really liked his statement (in reference to the "mixing" of races and the idea that "equality" will one day occur when humankind all reach the same tone of skin colour and features): "The future I yearn for is not one in which we will all be clothed in sameness, but one in which we will finally learn to both read and respectfully discuss our differences". That is the ultimate in equality and acceptance. It's such a lovely idea and I truly hope we one day live in a world of such acceptance.
A most wonderful letter. Full of love and truth. David Chariandy gets Father of the Year for the love that pours out of this talk with his daughter.
David Chariandy's writing is beautiful. His look at prejudice over the years, focussing on his family tree, is insightful and thoughtful. I really liked his statement (in reference to the "mixing" of races and the idea that "equality" will one day occur when humankind all reach the same tone of skin colour and features): "The future I yearn for is not one in which we will all be clothed in sameness, but one in which we will finally learn to both read and respectfully discuss our differences". That is the ultimate in equality and acceptance. It's such a lovely idea and I truly hope we one day live in a world of such acceptance.
A most wonderful letter. Full of love and truth. David Chariandy gets Father of the Year for the love that pours out of this talk with his daughter.
March 2, 2019
David Chariandy proves once again that it is not the number of words in a book that matters – it’s finding the right words.
In I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You, he intimately and lovingly addresses his 13-year-old daughter, providing her with insights, guidance, and pivotal moments of her back history as she navigates her Canadian life as an “outsider.”
He writes, “I can glimpse through the lens of my own experience, how a parent or grandparent, encouraged to remain silent and feel ashamed of themselves, may nevertheless find the strength to voice directly to a child a truer story of ancestry, and, in the closeness of voice and breath and chosen language, pass on a legacy of sorrow and power of luminous specificity that honours the past and reveals to the listener a liveable future.”
That is indeed what he does here. The son of Black and South Asian migrants from Trinidad, David Chariandy marries a woman of European ancestry and his daughter reaches her preteen years in a French-immersion school. She belongs, not to one “group” or another; rather, she belongs to herself. But she still must understand systemic racism and ethnic/gender labeling to move comfortably on.
It’s an affirmational story, but far and away the best reason to read this slim book is the love and acceptance that David Chariandy communicates to his daughter. His pride in her and concern for her shine forth on every page and the universality of parent love ties him in with every caring parent, regardless of ethnicity. I closed the pages thinking how very fortunate this young teenager is to have such a father. And I reflected on how this epistolary book will become a keepsake at times when she’s lost – as all of us are at some point in life. It’s a true celebration of father-daughter love.
In I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You, he intimately and lovingly addresses his 13-year-old daughter, providing her with insights, guidance, and pivotal moments of her back history as she navigates her Canadian life as an “outsider.”
He writes, “I can glimpse through the lens of my own experience, how a parent or grandparent, encouraged to remain silent and feel ashamed of themselves, may nevertheless find the strength to voice directly to a child a truer story of ancestry, and, in the closeness of voice and breath and chosen language, pass on a legacy of sorrow and power of luminous specificity that honours the past and reveals to the listener a liveable future.”
That is indeed what he does here. The son of Black and South Asian migrants from Trinidad, David Chariandy marries a woman of European ancestry and his daughter reaches her preteen years in a French-immersion school. She belongs, not to one “group” or another; rather, she belongs to herself. But she still must understand systemic racism and ethnic/gender labeling to move comfortably on.
It’s an affirmational story, but far and away the best reason to read this slim book is the love and acceptance that David Chariandy communicates to his daughter. His pride in her and concern for her shine forth on every page and the universality of parent love ties him in with every caring parent, regardless of ethnicity. I closed the pages thinking how very fortunate this young teenager is to have such a father. And I reflected on how this epistolary book will become a keepsake at times when she’s lost – as all of us are at some point in life. It’s a true celebration of father-daughter love.
December 22, 2019
As a Caribbean man I found this personal essay disappointing. Chariandy is a talented writer, no doubt, but this work reads like a poor man's version of Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Between the World and Me."
There is so much more about Caribbean identity than simply skin color, but the author devotes most of the book on his experiences with racism to the detriment of all the other wonderful, magical eccentricities which make up the Antillian character.
The three stars I awarded this book is a compromise between 5 stars for quality of writing and 1 star for originality.
There is so much more about Caribbean identity than simply skin color, but the author devotes most of the book on his experiences with racism to the detriment of all the other wonderful, magical eccentricities which make up the Antillian character.
The three stars I awarded this book is a compromise between 5 stars for quality of writing and 1 star for originality.
December 16, 2018
This is a short book that is written as a message to his daughter. It describes his experience growing up as a person of colour and his hopes for her future. I liked the writing style.
January 16, 2022
Having read award winning novel BROTHER by David Chariandy in 2019, I knew that I wanted to read more by this talented Canadian author. I'VE BEEN MEANING TO TELL YOU: A LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER is a beautifully written 120 page letter from the author to his young daughter. His great love for her shows as he shares with her his memories of times they have spent together, tells her about her ancestry, and his childhood and life before she was born. He tells her how wonderful she is and shares his hope for a better world.
"Since your birth, especially, I've wanted to believe that people of many backgrounds can find points of commonality in a world of hardened divisions, precious moments of recognition and intimacy across differences, and so big in the necessarily hard work hypothetically seeing and hearing one another. Of course, I want to believe that reading and discussing books can play a part in this."
"The future I yearn for is not one in which we will all be clothed in sameness, but one in which we will finally learn to both read and respectfully discuss our differences."
I hope to read David Chariandy's debut novel SOUCOUYANT in the near future.
4.5 stars
"Since your birth, especially, I've wanted to believe that people of many backgrounds can find points of commonality in a world of hardened divisions, precious moments of recognition and intimacy across differences, and so big in the necessarily hard work hypothetically seeing and hearing one another. Of course, I want to believe that reading and discussing books can play a part in this."
"The future I yearn for is not one in which we will all be clothed in sameness, but one in which we will finally learn to both read and respectfully discuss our differences."
I hope to read David Chariandy's debut novel SOUCOUYANT in the near future.
4.5 stars
October 8, 2018
This was sad and lovely.
May 22, 2018
In I've Been Meaning To Tell You, Canadian author David Chariandy writes a letter to his thirteen-year-old daughter which addresses the issue of race and discrimination in today's world.
This small book packs quite a punch as Chariandy, with his well-written, often poetic, prose, dives into issues about race and discrimination using his own personal history as well as the experiences of his parents (who are Trinidadian immigrants) and his extended family, over several generations.
His writing is thought-provoking and, at times, sentimental with his love and admiration for his daughter, as a unique person in her own right, shining through. Yet even though this is a book dedicated to his daughter, Chariandy balances this personal aspect in a way that invites his readers in, making the issues and thoughts raised relevant to the rest of us.
This wee book is a gem and will hopefully encourage much discussion making it a wonderful selection for book clubs.
Disclaimer: This Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
This small book packs quite a punch as Chariandy, with his well-written, often poetic, prose, dives into issues about race and discrimination using his own personal history as well as the experiences of his parents (who are Trinidadian immigrants) and his extended family, over several generations.
His writing is thought-provoking and, at times, sentimental with his love and admiration for his daughter, as a unique person in her own right, shining through. Yet even though this is a book dedicated to his daughter, Chariandy balances this personal aspect in a way that invites his readers in, making the issues and thoughts raised relevant to the rest of us.
This wee book is a gem and will hopefully encourage much discussion making it a wonderful selection for book clubs.
Disclaimer: This Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
October 28, 2018
In the vein of Ta-Nehisi Coates (both writers were inspired by the same James Baldwin essay), Chariandy writes a letter about race, identity, and belonging to his 13-year-old daughter. It's a very sweet, tender book that while reading feels almost like you've stumbled upon something too personal for outside eyes, like you're trespassing. Many beautiful loving words here. I'd probably recommend the print rather than the audiobook. I found Chariandy's narration too slow and overenuciated.
September 23, 2020
I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: A Letter to My Daughter is a tender, intimate and heartachingly beautiful book about race and belonging. If you enjoyed Ta-Nehisi Coate’s Between the World and Me, I think you would also enjoy this one. It touches on similar topics, but from a Canadian perspective.
June 6, 2018
Beautiful and poignant and important.
December 21, 2020
A short, beautiful read.
June 7, 2018
This book is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie meets Ta-Nehisi Coates à la Chariandy. The various subjects covered in this book, predominantly race and discrimination, while relevant and interesting primarily due to its setting in Vancouver where I live, unfortunately didn't resonate with me as much as Coates' Between the World and Me did; I attribute my response to Chariandy's almost lilting, smooth casual prose contrasted against Coates' strong, almost accusatory narration style, which I preferred. That being said, I'm still happy I picked this up as Brother was one of my favorite books of 2017 and I want to read more from Chariandy. I did still enjoy this love letter to his daughter (you could feel the sentimentality emanating from his words in many passages) and I actually did prefer this over Adichie's Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, but it just didn't pack the punch I desired.
Disclaimer: I was fortunate enough to receive a complementary copy from Penguin and meet Chariandy in Vancouver for this book release.
Disclaimer: I was fortunate enough to receive a complementary copy from Penguin and meet Chariandy in Vancouver for this book release.
March 22, 2018
this is a true love letter in every sense of the word.
what strikes me the most is how much not only love chariandy has for his daughter, but the respect he has for her, and in her and of her as her own person and not "his daughter" or her son's sister, or his wife's daughter, but as HER.
I hope all fathers read this. I hope all daughters are able to see themselves see their fathers or father figures in this. I know that not all will, but I truly wish they could.
what strikes me the most is how much not only love chariandy has for his daughter, but the respect he has for her, and in her and of her as her own person and not "his daughter" or her son's sister, or his wife's daughter, but as HER.
I hope all fathers read this. I hope all daughters are able to see themselves see their fathers or father figures in this. I know that not all will, but I truly wish they could.
September 29, 2022
4.5
I'm really picky about what type of "pensive" introspective writing I really like, and I don't think Chariandy's particular voice is normally one that appeals to me. But in spite of that, I ended up really liking this book and it definitely left me in a particular mood.
A lot of this book was about his complicated relationship with his complicated ancestry, and I thought that the section "The Test" was particularly insightful. I'll insert a quote from that passage below. As well, it's interesting how he speaks about parts of his racial identity as something that is "silent", yet is still telling/revealing. For example, when he talks about how his skin tone marks others to ask 'where he is from' in spite of his practiced Canadian accent or the content of what he says, and also how the ancestry test "quietly" reveals the violence against black women. I don't think I can articulate yet why that way of conceptualization/description was so notable for me, but it just was.
the “heat maps of my ancestry”, my “paternal line” lighting up with orange and yellow almost all of Asia and Europe, and my “maternal line” lighting with concentrated colour only the continent of Africa… I remember, also, watching quietly the outline of the Americas, where generations of my ancestors had been born into lives of bondage and soil. Not a hint of colour there. Not even the weakest indication of belonging.
I'm really picky about what type of "pensive" introspective writing I really like, and I don't think Chariandy's particular voice is normally one that appeals to me. But in spite of that, I ended up really liking this book and it definitely left me in a particular mood.
A lot of this book was about his complicated relationship with his complicated ancestry, and I thought that the section "The Test" was particularly insightful. I'll insert a quote from that passage below. As well, it's interesting how he speaks about parts of his racial identity as something that is "silent", yet is still telling/revealing. For example, when he talks about how his skin tone marks others to ask 'where he is from' in spite of his practiced Canadian accent or the content of what he says, and also how the ancestry test "quietly" reveals the violence against black women. I don't think I can articulate yet why that way of conceptualization/description was so notable for me, but it just was.
the “heat maps of my ancestry”, my “paternal line” lighting up with orange and yellow almost all of Asia and Europe, and my “maternal line” lighting with concentrated colour only the continent of Africa… I remember, also, watching quietly the outline of the Americas, where generations of my ancestors had been born into lives of bondage and soil. Not a hint of colour there. Not even the weakest indication of belonging.
July 18, 2024
Chariandy’s writing is beautiful and a lot of this resonated for me, being a Canadian-born child of immigrants from the Caribbean. I thought the book was well paced and the anecdotes were relevant and punchy. There were parts that made me chuckle and parts that made me tear up. Overall, the deep love and idk, “wonder” the author has for his daughter shines through and feels very intimate to witness. Although I did find it relatable and validating, I wouldn’t say it was super novel or insightful for me. That being said the accessibility and availability of stories about identity and belonging is so important and I think this is a great example of that.
May 18, 2024
4.25/5 - As a daughter of a Trinidadian, Canadian raised father this hit pretty close to home. This was a beautiful love letter about identity and defining yourself when others are quick to do it for you. Parts of this had me tearing up and I especially loved the author talking about visiting Trinidad. His description of being in a place where you look like you "belong" but knowing that you're a tourist in this "home land" was incredibly relatable. There were many parts that resonated so deeply for me, but I found the writing a bit overdone and flowery. It's hard to explain exactly what I didn't like but the author's use of long, comma filled sentences was not for me. I also felt like some of the messages were more personal to Chariandy and his daughter and fell flat for me as a reader.
June 6, 2020
David Chariandy has written a letter of his hopes and dreams for his daughter and where his story and hers intersect.
It took me one day to read this book. One day. And I held my breath the whole time. I see my story in the pages. This is a book I will return to many times as there is so much to think about as I think about my place in this world but also my daughter’s place as she grows and discovers the world she lives in.
It took me one day to read this book. One day. And I held my breath the whole time. I see my story in the pages. This is a book I will return to many times as there is so much to think about as I think about my place in this world but also my daughter’s place as she grows and discovers the world she lives in.
December 13, 2022
You did not create the inequalities and injustices of this world, daughter. You are neither solely nor uniquely responsible to fix them. If there is anything to learn from the story of our ancestry, it is that you should respect and protect yourself; that you should demand not only justice but joy; that you should see, truly see, the vulnerability and the creativity and the enduring beauty of others. Today, many years after indenture and especially slavery, there are many who continue to live painfully in wakes of historical violence. And there are current terrible circumstances whereby others, in the desperate hope for a better life, either migrate or are pushed across the hardened borders of nations and find themselves stranded in unwelcoming lands. We live in a time, dearest daughter, when the callous and ignorant in wealthy nations have made it their business to loudly proclaim who are the deserving "us" (those really "us") and who are the alien and undeserving "them." But the story of our origins offers us a different insight. The people we imagine most apart from "us" are, oftentimes, our own forgotten kin.4.25 stars
(p.37-38)
September 12, 2021
This is like a companion to The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole. I think every Canadian needs to read this.
August 3, 2018
After a stranger asserted her right to butt in front of the brown-skinned Chariandy because she “was born here,” he had a difficult time explaining what happened to his then three year-old daughter. I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You is his attempt to do just that. Written as a letter to his daughter, the author works to unpack the colonial and racist history that built the Caribbean from which his parents came and also underlies the modern Canada, allowing casual, hateful ignorance to be thrust at visible minorities while still maintaining a general reputation of enlightenment throughout the nation.
The main problem that presents itself is that Chariandy is cautious with his prose to the point of timidity, in a seeming attempt to bend over backwards not to offend any group, or with the worry that speaking more strongly on his point of view could be misconstrued as trying to put words into the mouths of others. And this is unfortunate, because this writing serves to disconnect the author from the topic at hand, to make his collection of personal essays impersonal. But it’s not all like this. A change can be observed when discussion moves into specific thoughts and emotions linked to the changing relationships within his family, with the height being a stirring reminiscence of the birth of his daughter. At these times, Chariandy writes with feeling, just not in a way I found specifically enlightening with regard to the politics of race.
The main problem that presents itself is that Chariandy is cautious with his prose to the point of timidity, in a seeming attempt to bend over backwards not to offend any group, or with the worry that speaking more strongly on his point of view could be misconstrued as trying to put words into the mouths of others. And this is unfortunate, because this writing serves to disconnect the author from the topic at hand, to make his collection of personal essays impersonal. But it’s not all like this. A change can be observed when discussion moves into specific thoughts and emotions linked to the changing relationships within his family, with the height being a stirring reminiscence of the birth of his daughter. At these times, Chariandy writes with feeling, just not in a way I found specifically enlightening with regard to the politics of race.
February 11, 2019
(2019: Read this a second time and it was even better on the second read. David Chariandy really did something great with this work)
My favorite part of writing reviews or talking about books I’ve read is revisiting how amazing the book was and the feelings I got from them. This one falls right into that category. Sometimes words can’t fully describe the extent.
Reading this, I felt the deep love and respect David has for his daughter through the stories he’s sharing with her. During my reading process I felt so connected, so cared for, so empowered, so knowledgeable, and so inspired all that the same time. Strangely or not so strangely, I could picture myself as the “daughter” David was talking to in his letters.
I feel like this extra special because he shares stories and lessons of race, racism, and discrimination to his daughter through the lens of his family’s history utilizing family as the common connector. David shares with his daughter the importance of searching for identity and understanding ancestral heritage and much much more.
It’s such a short and quick read but I finished it feeling like I got everything I needed to get out of it. David is such a beautiful story teller, He’s the kind of writer that doesn’t need so many words to get his message(s) across. I feel like I’ll keep reaching for his novels.. I really recommend this and also check out Brother (by the same author) if you haven’t.
My favorite part of writing reviews or talking about books I’ve read is revisiting how amazing the book was and the feelings I got from them. This one falls right into that category. Sometimes words can’t fully describe the extent.
Reading this, I felt the deep love and respect David has for his daughter through the stories he’s sharing with her. During my reading process I felt so connected, so cared for, so empowered, so knowledgeable, and so inspired all that the same time. Strangely or not so strangely, I could picture myself as the “daughter” David was talking to in his letters.
I feel like this extra special because he shares stories and lessons of race, racism, and discrimination to his daughter through the lens of his family’s history utilizing family as the common connector. David shares with his daughter the importance of searching for identity and understanding ancestral heritage and much much more.
It’s such a short and quick read but I finished it feeling like I got everything I needed to get out of it. David is such a beautiful story teller, He’s the kind of writer that doesn’t need so many words to get his message(s) across. I feel like I’ll keep reaching for his novels.. I really recommend this and also check out Brother (by the same author) if you haven’t.
June 25, 2018
This slim volume is the most profound cultural artifact that I have encountered this year. Its 120 pages are filled with personal and emotional thoughts that Chariandy was kind enough to craft into a book and share with the world. He takes some personal moments with his daughter that are heart-wrenching (A moment where a father/daughter visit to a buffet is ruined when a bigoted patron butts her way in front of him and remarks “I was born here. I belong here.” Or the joyful events of his daughter’s thirteenth birthday being grimly overshadowed by bitter politics and the Inauguration of President Donald Trump) Chariandy has given us serious readers a voice to confirm our concerns about the state of the world.
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June 13, 2018
Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book on exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would, expecting it to be too similar to Dear Ijeawale, Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, but this father's love letter to his daughter is so much different. David Chariandy describes his own experiences with racism while also acknowledging the deep rooted racism in Canada against indigenous people through a heartwarming, but also heartbreaking letter to his thirteen year old daughter. Chariandy also describes the search for identity and the importance of understanding ancestoral heritage. So much emotion packed into 120 pages and I learned a great amount from such a short book!
September 22, 2018
David Chariandy has created magic in a mere 120 pages. His thoughtful and gentle prose pulls the reader in and allows one to gaze at a handful of his life experiences with racism and not/belonging. Throughout the book he is committed to naming the violence of racism but also holding hope that people are capable of doing something better.
'If there is anything to learn from the story of our ancestry, it is that you should respect and protect yourself; that you should demand not only justice but joy; that you should see, truly see, the vulnerability and creativity and the enduring beauty of others.' (pg. 51)
My only regret is that there weren't more pages to inhale and ponder over. A must-read.
'If there is anything to learn from the story of our ancestry, it is that you should respect and protect yourself; that you should demand not only justice but joy; that you should see, truly see, the vulnerability and creativity and the enduring beauty of others.' (pg. 51)
My only regret is that there weren't more pages to inhale and ponder over. A must-read.
Read
November 25, 2022Really lovely.
June 14, 2018
I feel quite inadequate to express how beautifully this book is written and how much I admire it. In so few words, Chariandy tells us what it feels like to be marginalized, discriminated against, and judged based on skin colour. He also speaks the universal language of parental love and concern - what a gift he has given his daughter with this short but powerful book.
June 30, 2018
Although it is a touching narrative, I was left by the end with the feeling that I wished he had just written this for his daughter’s eyes alone. Also, rather than being “in the tradition of”, it just seemed a bit like jumping on the bandwagon of the format. Although these were poignant and representational stories, they certainly don’t have the resonance and complexity of Coates’ work.
February 10, 2019
I loved that this book is father to daughter. A small twist on the man to man letters we often see. I enjoyed sections a lot, though I found the book a little too listless at times. Couldn’t always follow and sometimes the writing tried too hard. Overall good, and so short and sweet.
Read
May 19, 2018I cannot say too much as I am reviewing this book for a publication. :-)
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