An Ode to Girlhood | Review: Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades

This is a book I want to give to my cousins and friends to read; the Filipinas and brown girls and daughters of immigrants and to those who grew up in New York and in the effervescent neighborhood of Queens.

Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades reads like poetry in its reflections of girlhood, the trials of adulthood, and the weight of it all as a young woman of color, that feels personal and familiar. The writing is evocative as Palasi Andreades captures the running inner thoughts of her amalgamated characters in these vignettes of time as they navigate life and its pressures, while also trying to hold on to themselves and their roots. 

There are the friends you grew up with and the antics you would get up to thinking it would always be like this, unaware of how you will slowly become strangers. Applying to high school and then college outside of Queens and the pull between the allure of the city and the streets where you live. The overbearing mother who chastises your choices, constantly reminding you of what they sacrificed, but doesn't give enough credit to your dreams that are bigger than what they expected. How we rediscover our identities after visiting the motherland, seeing both worlds blend our past and our present. The questions we ponder and ask ourselves about who we are now and who we are after.

There are so many passages that stood out that I want to save them all. These are just a few lines that resonated with me:

“‘A career in healthcare is the best you could have,’ our mothers, medical professionals themselves for twenty-five, thirty years, assured us… Our tears, pathetic and hot, slide down our cheeks. A practical, safe job for a dutiful daughter.” 

“Funk when we feel we are never, will never, be enough.” 

I really love the chapters “Duty,” “Art,” “Trish,” and “Our Not-Reflections,” with “A Trip to the Motherland (Fatherland)” and “The Things We Carry” being my favorite. Yet every page is poignant, embedded with subtle but heavy emotional chords.

Brown Girls is one of those books that I’m still thinking about long after I finished reading it and where in more ways than one I felt seen.

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Nonfiction November Hopefuls

If it’s about movies, then I need to read it.

I always love learning about film history and these are three books I would really like to read this Nonfiction November. 

MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, Gavin Edwards

I still remember when I first watched Iron Man in 2008 and going 😧 during that first post-credit scene. I didn’t know who the Avengers were at the time except for Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor, but I knew something big was ahead. Then when I read about how Marvel was assembling each of these heroes into their own standalone films eventually culminating into The Avengers, I was invested. Now, with this book it will be interesting to learn more about the studio behind the cinematic universe that became a pop culture behemoth.

Hitchcock Blondes: The Unforgettable Women Behind the Legendary Director's Dark Obsession by Laurence Leamer

When I was in school, I took a class studying the films of Alfred Hitchcock. It was my first film class and it was interesting learning about the director, how he filmed his movies, and the women he casted (it’s been a while so I might be wrong, but I think part of the reason he particularly casted blondes was because of how striking they stood out). So, when I came across this book, it made me think of that class. Hitchcock Blondes focuses on the actresses that starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s films that included Grace Kelly, Eva Marie Saint, Kim Novak, and Tippi Hedren, which has its own history she has spoken up about.

Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman

The history of the Academy Awards is a fascinating one. The first ceremony lasted only 15 minutes compared to today’s 3 hour live broadcast. In a way it’s become my version of the Super Bowl.  Apart from the glitz and glamor though, Oscar Wars covers more than just the award and the nominees. It also gives some detailed history on the actors, directors, producers, etc. who were a part of the industry spanning years and decades the Academy and the Oscars have existed. This is one I’ve been looking forward to reading hopefully before the next Oscars in 2024.

💭 Are you interested in any of these? What are you reading during Nonfiction November?

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My Most Anticipated Read: What The River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment ✨

Excuse me while I lose my mind over this book 😝 I have been so excited for Isabel Ibañez’s What The River Knows that I watched The Mummy on repeat for the majority of October leading up to pub day. I even bought the Barnes and Noble edition with plans on getting other special editions as well. Obsessed much? Yes.

After taking a minute to just stare at the cover, I started reading it this weekend and I already love it. I’m saying it now, it’s going to be a 5 stars, 10/10 read. There’s adventure, magic, a brewing romance (Whit Hayes - wow okay, giving some Rick O’Connell vibes), and a mystery that’s about to unravel.

Have you started reading What The River Knows? Is it on your tbr?

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