LinaVer > Recent Status Updates

On a Mission// Mr. Phillip seldom smiles,/is lanky and tall,/wears wire-rimmed glasses/and big-collared shirts/with strange bows/around his neck,/frowns when he speaks our Twi,/insists that we call him/by his new names,/does not like/ riddles or bean stew/ or most things/ we are used to/ in our village,/ and swears/ that he has been anointed/ to rescue us/ from our old selves/ and help us discover/ our true ones.

"She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow."

“When I went home that evening and realized my education had been a lie—had made presumptions about what was "normal," what was American, what was valuable—I wanted to quit school right then and there, but I didn't. Instead, I got angry, and anger when it is used to act, when it is used nonviolently, has power.”
From the introduction

"Human Resources was important - as Ms. Kettering reminded us all the time, without the resources we extracted from our human subjects the entire company would grind to a halt."
🤣 they extract the resources in from the humans, and well the HR department is then very well named

"I measure out the grains. Bring the water to boil. Stir the canteen. (...) I drain the water and transfer the rice to broad green leaves."
That is the worst way to cook rice ever though 🙈🤣 it's not pasta or broccoli that you cook this way

"The tinfoil set (...) They wear tinfoil under their hats (...) It keeps aliens from reading their minds." 🤣 Gosh, if aliens reading our minds was only the worst thing to happen to us in this world.

"It's my job as a man to take care of her and support her and keep her safe. If I can't do that, then what's the point?"
Gee, "me man" is here.

"Giving you space doesn't mean I don't care. Understood?"
Yes, daddy. Yes, sir, yes! Yes, sergeant. 🤣🤣🤣🙈 lol
Whoever speaks to their wife as if she's a miss-behaved 5 year old? 🚩

"You can call me Bree."/ "And you can call me anytime."

Gosh this is so bad. 🤣

"She headed into the spare bedroom"
Huh? So what was the whole thing about who sleeps in bed and who on the sofa if there's a spare bedroom? 🙈🤣 I hate inconsistencies

This whole book could end right here. You're already married, still love each other, so talk shit out and live happy ever after. Instead, I guess we still have 80% of the book of blown out plot. I'm not enjoying this as much as I expected. At least it's written in a fast to read style.

"Judge Edith Jones comes over/ and grasps my hands-/ like she's telling me/ she understands they are/ my voice."

"Now she will learn/ that I cannot be reached./ I have shut myself,/ like a clam, a drawer,/ a door, the fridge,/ my eyes and fists/ shut tight."

"I was bad." I wondered if the presents were all for Jamie. Could any possibly be for me?/ "Not bad," Susan said. (...) "Not bad, Ada. Sad. Angry. Frightened. Not bad."/ Sad, angry, frightened were bad. It was not okay to be any of those. I couldn't say so, though, not on that gentle morning."

"Somehow Christmas was making me feel jumpy inside. All this talk about being together and being happy and celebrating-it felt threatening. Like I shouldn't be part of it. Like I wasn't allowed. And Susan wanted me to be happy, which was scarier still."

"I thought maybe that was why Mam hated me."/ miss Smith's hand touched my shoulder. When she spoke, her voice was uneven. "She doesn't-I'm sure it's not-" She stopped walking and turned to face me. "I don't know what to say," she said, afyer a pause. "I don't want to tell you a lie, and I don't know the truth."