Review: Heart Berries: A Memoir

Review: Heart Berries: A Memoir

Reviewed By: Christine Miskonoodinkwe Smith

What author Terese Marie Mailhot achieves in her memoir “Heart Berries” is exquisite.  It took my breath away reading it because her writing is poetically lyrical and the language raw with emotion. Mailhot writes about her coming of age, what happens in those stages of her life and what she takes from it emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally.

It speaks to memories of a dysfunctional family growing up, heartbreak, hospitalization for mental health issues, how difficult it is to love oneself and others when you are living under the shadows of shame and almost what I would say self-loathing. It is not all about pain though, because it is also a story of reconciliation, coming to terms with the abuse in her past and learning to move forward despite the pain. In moving forward, she reconnects with her family, her people and establishes a place for herself in this world.

Through her writing, Mailhot reaches out to her readers in a unique way-her words resonate with you and make you feel the rollercoaster of emotions she goes through in life. The reader stays with Mailhot’s story long after you put the book down.

Heart Berries: A Memoir is published by DoubleDay Canada and is 154 pages.