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Title details for The Body Papers by Grace Talusan - Available

The Body Papers

by Grace Talusan
Grace Talusan
Audiobook
1 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 2 copies available
Born in the Philippines, young Grace Talusan moves with her family to a New England suburb in the 1970s. At school, she confronts racism as one of the few kids with a brown face. At home, the confusion is worse: her grandfather's nightly visits to her room leave her hurt and terrified, and she learns to build a protective wall of silence that maps onto the larger silence practiced by her Catholic Filipino family. Talusan learns as a teenager that her family's legal status in the country has always hung by a thread—for a time, they were "illegal." Family, she's told, must be put first.
The abuse and trauma Talusan suffers as a child affects all her relationships, her mental health, and her relationship with her own body. Later, she learns that her family history is threaded with violence and abuse. And she discovers another devastating family thread: cancer. Despite all this, she finds love, and success as a teacher. On a fellowship, Talusan and her husband return to the Philippines, where she revisits her family's ancestral home and tries to reclaim a lost piece of herself.
Contains mature themes.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 30, 2019

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781515936039
      • File size: 184463 KB
      • Duration: 06:24:17

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      In a restrained voice, author/narrator Grace Talusan conveys how much she has had to hold back, how much she has endured, and how strong she truly is as she delves deep into a past that has left her with innumerable emotional and physical scars. Talusan came to the U.S. from the Philippines at the age of 2 but encountered as many troubles here as she left behind. Her story simmers with potent gravitas as she describes her life as an immigrant, a person of color, a victim of family sexual abuse, and a woman unable to reproduce after having had her breasts and ovaries removed due to a genetic predisposition to cancer. In a voice with a hint of raspiness, she moves through her story with deliberateness and sincerity that sit heavy with listeners while also inspiring and giving comfort to those who share such experiences. L.E. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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