"The mind works such that we see and perceive new things always through the lens of what we have already seen". In Memorial Drive, Natasha Trethewey reckons with her mother's murder at the hands of her stepfather. She revisits her memories and recalls events in order to make sense of the tragedy. She relives pivotal moments and relies on the psychology of her mind during those times to analyze and move towards acceptance of what happened to her mother. She comes to terms with her guilt and silence as a child forced to bear so much trauma and pain. She propels herself back in time to walk through not only her own story but her mother's to gain clarity about her life. Her writing is exquisite and it is obvious that she was born to be a poet. The prose pulls at your heart strings and you feel her emotions on a visceral level. I was emotionally destroyed by the end of it but it left me with a deeper understanding of trauma and the after effects. What I also appreciated about the author's story was that is was also a story of identity and search for belonging. The author is biracial and her parents were married illegally during the era of miscegenation laws. She talks extensively throughout the story about growing up during segregation and racism and how she was taught to act when navigating through both worlds that make up her identity. Her mother's love was the constant through her journey to make her mark in the world. When her mother is killed, the author begins to question if she could have prevented it in some way. She recalls her many anxieties and premonitions as a child and recounts how intuitive children can be when in contact with trauma and a sense of danger. She also illuminates how difficult it is to trust your own instincts and speak out when you are young. Natasha's story will stay with me for a long time to come because her emotions were so raw yet insightful. It will challenge me not to discount my trauma and emotions in my own life. This bookdragon rates it 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. #blacklivesmatter #blackresilence #readblackstories #supportblackart #weneeddiversebooks #blackmemoir #bookstagram #readbooksinthepark #takebooksoutside #bookishphotos #reading (at Juniper Valley Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDrzvjogy6o/?igshid=17a12k53xp879