pickWhen Danielle got word her mother is dying in Florida, she rushes to her side only to watch her slip away, her mothers life contained in a few suitcases, one loaded with diaries, cards,& photographs.Though both Danielle‘s parents had lives full of addiction, abuse,& abandonment she uses the material to make sense of her family‘s lives.Her ability to mine this material with such grace is amazing.
pickSuch a heartbreaking book, but such a resilient young woman! I wanted to reach through the pages to hug her!
#Indiebookstoreday My local indie did a nice thing , yes , Saturday was officially the day but they issued a coupon that was good 3 days for those of us who can‘t get there Saturday & aren‘t into crowds! I have many copies/translations of Flowers of Evil @vivastory commented about it so…tagged book looks like a tough read, but had a rave review on a shelf talker from one of the staff.I do love indies esp. ones with staff picks !
pick“Most days, I believe I do not know how to care for my mother‘s ghost.” Archivist & writing professor Danielle Geller‘s parents were often homeless. After her mother‘s alcohol-related death, Geller wrote this intimate memoir. It‘s about mothers & sisters; and it‘s about navigating the pitfalls surrounding family dysfunction, addiction & poverty; and also reconnecting with her mother‘s Navajo family. #Audiobook read by Charley Flyte.
Our mother was an alcoholic. Our father was an alcoholic. Our grandmother was an alcoholic, 17 years sober.
“You‘re an alcoholic,” Grandma would tell me, even when I was very young. “You just haven‘t had your first drink.”
#Indigenous
-21 C, waiting for a bus. Friendly message.
It‘s taken a while to get to this memoir. I am finding that it is like many stories of individuals who have had difficult circumstances yet have come out successfully but with scars. 75% through I am finding the juice is worth the squeeze.
pick5🌟Geller begins her memoir with the death of her vegabond, alcoholic mother. Geller has flown down to Florida where her mother is dying from alcohol withdrawal, everything her mother owns is packed into 8 suitcases. Amongst her things are photographs, diaries, disposable camera's and a few other of her mothers most treasured items. Gellers writing is intimate, like sitting with an old friend. Definitely recommend picking this one up! #bookreview
pickDanielle Geller is a truly wonderful author with a gift for allowing the reader an unvarnished but compassionate look into her life. She discusses how her mother was a caretaker and able to care for others, and how she is not. Ms. Geller is not a caretaker of people, but she is a caretaker of other people's truths. She is able to take care of the truths of herself, her parents, her sisters and her people and create a powerful book. (Cont. ⬇️)
This just totally got under my skin-I was reading about books coming out in 2021 and came across this list. This sentence caught my eye cuz I was like “huh?” 🤨. I‘m Navajo and there is NOT a Rez in Florida. Turns out the writer of the article didn‘t care enough to fact check and the Navajo writer lived in FL but VISITED the Rez later. God it‘s not that hard to google if you are unsure. SMH the disrespect
Dog Flowers: A Memoir | 
