Review of I Know My Way Memoir
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Jennifer Lissethe
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Review of I Know My Way Memoir
[Following is a volunteer review of "I Know My Way Memoir" by Theresa Marafito with Linda Odubayo Thompson.]
I Know My Way Memoir: Always Remember to Color the Sky Blue was a project initially conceived by Theresa Marafito, compiled and restarted after her death by her daughter Linda Odubayo Thompson. In this story, we will meet Theresa Marafito, a partially sighted woman who will tell us the most important events of her life. In this way, we will accompany her in her childhood pranks to her passage through motherhood and later death. But this will not be a heavy trip, no. Her sense of humor will always be there, making this journey more enjoyable. However, what makes this biography stand out is its social criticism. One of its purposes is to portray the reality of visually impaired people and how their lives, like Marafito's, are full of misconceptions and a lack of opportunities. But the truth is, they are not as different as we think.
It surprised me how this message was conveyed since Marafito's life suffers no shortage of examples to prove this, showing us the injustices she has to deal with. It even goes further; it criticizes the health system and even the companies with capitalist structures due to their actions and misinformation that existed when treating visually impaired people. Another thing that adds value to the book is its narrative. It employs a sympathetic and straightforward tone that interacts with the reader regularly. And thanks to its short chapters, it is also fast to read, the longest one being 20 pages long. Besides, it is narrated as if it was a novel, contributing to the fact that we feel part of the story instead of being mere spectators. The last positive aspect I want to highlight concerns the characters. The way they are described feels so genuine, making me empathize and suffer with them, especially with the secondaries, as Marafito's husband. As a result, the story's message resonated more with me. After finishing the book, I came to appreciate much more my senses, people, and things I usually take for granted.
As for the negative aspects, I have some complaints. First, the editing. The book has many errors (more than 10), including problems with the comma, some capitalization, and perspective mistakes. Another one occurs at narrating events. Sometimes, we are told about a trivial event like their house's construction over three chapters. Still, we are untold about what happened during the operations that transformed Marafito's life. It is also common for one situation to begin, switch to another, and continue two chapters later. Sadly, at this point, we have forgotten what happened at the beginning, which also takes us out of the story. The improper use of transitions and connectors represents another concern. Sometimes, the story moves from one different idea to another or jumps in time unexpectedly (Example: jump of 12 years from Chapter 73 to 74). The same happens with the endings of the chapters. They end suddenly or too random, diminishing our interest in continuing reading.
Finally, I want to mention two reasons related to the book's content, which I didn't like. The first aspect involves certain phrases and dialogues. These make jokes concerning racial issues and even about sexuality, becoming rather offensive. The second is the black humor used in serious moments, which tends to be a bit rude. An example is when Marafito comments during a funeral: "Isn't it interesting how both of your parents died within two days of each other? Of course in different years!".
Given these details, my final rating for this book is 2 out of 4 stars. The work possesses potential and a meaningful message, but it could be conveyed and be more impactful with better editing and certain changes. I recommend it, especially to those who live with visually impaired people, lovers of inspirational stories, and those who enjoy fiction and non-fiction alike. After all, there is much to be learned from this book, which will help us know more about an often-neglected reality.
******
I Know My Way Memoir
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I Know My Way Memoir: Always Remember to Color the Sky Blue was a project initially conceived by Theresa Marafito, compiled and restarted after her death by her daughter Linda Odubayo Thompson. In this story, we will meet Theresa Marafito, a partially sighted woman who will tell us the most important events of her life. In this way, we will accompany her in her childhood pranks to her passage through motherhood and later death. But this will not be a heavy trip, no. Her sense of humor will always be there, making this journey more enjoyable. However, what makes this biography stand out is its social criticism. One of its purposes is to portray the reality of visually impaired people and how their lives, like Marafito's, are full of misconceptions and a lack of opportunities. But the truth is, they are not as different as we think.
It surprised me how this message was conveyed since Marafito's life suffers no shortage of examples to prove this, showing us the injustices she has to deal with. It even goes further; it criticizes the health system and even the companies with capitalist structures due to their actions and misinformation that existed when treating visually impaired people. Another thing that adds value to the book is its narrative. It employs a sympathetic and straightforward tone that interacts with the reader regularly. And thanks to its short chapters, it is also fast to read, the longest one being 20 pages long. Besides, it is narrated as if it was a novel, contributing to the fact that we feel part of the story instead of being mere spectators. The last positive aspect I want to highlight concerns the characters. The way they are described feels so genuine, making me empathize and suffer with them, especially with the secondaries, as Marafito's husband. As a result, the story's message resonated more with me. After finishing the book, I came to appreciate much more my senses, people, and things I usually take for granted.
As for the negative aspects, I have some complaints. First, the editing. The book has many errors (more than 10), including problems with the comma, some capitalization, and perspective mistakes. Another one occurs at narrating events. Sometimes, we are told about a trivial event like their house's construction over three chapters. Still, we are untold about what happened during the operations that transformed Marafito's life. It is also common for one situation to begin, switch to another, and continue two chapters later. Sadly, at this point, we have forgotten what happened at the beginning, which also takes us out of the story. The improper use of transitions and connectors represents another concern. Sometimes, the story moves from one different idea to another or jumps in time unexpectedly (Example: jump of 12 years from Chapter 73 to 74). The same happens with the endings of the chapters. They end suddenly or too random, diminishing our interest in continuing reading.
Finally, I want to mention two reasons related to the book's content, which I didn't like. The first aspect involves certain phrases and dialogues. These make jokes concerning racial issues and even about sexuality, becoming rather offensive. The second is the black humor used in serious moments, which tends to be a bit rude. An example is when Marafito comments during a funeral: "Isn't it interesting how both of your parents died within two days of each other? Of course in different years!".
Given these details, my final rating for this book is 2 out of 4 stars. The work possesses potential and a meaningful message, but it could be conveyed and be more impactful with better editing and certain changes. I recommend it, especially to those who live with visually impaired people, lovers of inspirational stories, and those who enjoy fiction and non-fiction alike. After all, there is much to be learned from this book, which will help us know more about an often-neglected reality.
******
I Know My Way Memoir
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Maple Seed Helicopter by Marco Collina
