Review of The Parrot's Perch
Posted: 01 Apr 2023, 15:14
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Parrot's Perch" by Karen Keilt.]
The Parrot's Perch by Karen Keilt is a memoir about the life of the author and what she had to endure. She got an email from Ms. Glenda Mezarobba, a political scientist and investigator for the Brazilian National Truth Commission, with an invitation to narrate her experience with the Brazilian police 37 years ago. She accepted the invitation with the hope of putting an end to the injustice and corrupt acts of the Brazilian government authorities and poured out her heart in narrating her story, from her childhood experience with her family—especially with her dad because of his hostility towards her, her brother, and their mother—to her life during and after her first marriage.
After getting married to Rick, his brother Rex, who was a drug dealer, lived with them, which made life uncomfortable for them. The day he left, after Henri came searching his room, by the wee hours of the morning, the police stormed their house in search of drugs, which they found stacked in a bag, and they got arrested. This marked the beginning of a heart-wrenching story. Grab a copy to find out what she suffered in jail and how she survived.
I admire the author's strength in not only enduring the suffering she was put through but also in sharing her story. It takes only courage to narrate her horrid experiences with so many vivid details. Her descriptions of her experiences were in-depth and lucid, and they made me cringe at times with emotions because of how horribly she and her first husband, Rick, were treated. I learned a lot from her experiences and the decisions she made to survive. One would be the part where she stood up to her father, her family, and society by leaving her husband and the country. Though there were so many uncertainties and she lacked the skills to stay on her own and raise a child, she still proceeded with her plans and learned to fend for herself. There is also a lesson here, which is that a lack of skills is no reason to quit. Once you make the decision, you can learn the skills.
I found nothing to dislike about this book; the story was narrated from the first person's point of view, which is the author's. Although I heard some parts of her husband's experience, it was only the one with her present. And it was disheartening that they could not share or talk about what they experienced after the ordeal; I believe this is the reason why they separated. I would have loved to hear about her husband's part of the ordeal because I believe he too must have gone through a lot for it to have changed him that much and disrupted their marriage.
I would rate this book five out of five stars because it was an engrossing read, and as I said earlier, I disliked nothing about this book. Furthermore, I discovered some errors, but not enough to deduct a star while reading, which indicates that this book was professionally edited. Fans of non-fiction and memoirs would enjoy this book. Also, some descriptions were gruesome, and I would recommend this book to those who don't find this and the use of strong language unsettling.
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The Parrot's Perch
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Parrot's Perch by Karen Keilt is a memoir about the life of the author and what she had to endure. She got an email from Ms. Glenda Mezarobba, a political scientist and investigator for the Brazilian National Truth Commission, with an invitation to narrate her experience with the Brazilian police 37 years ago. She accepted the invitation with the hope of putting an end to the injustice and corrupt acts of the Brazilian government authorities and poured out her heart in narrating her story, from her childhood experience with her family—especially with her dad because of his hostility towards her, her brother, and their mother—to her life during and after her first marriage.
After getting married to Rick, his brother Rex, who was a drug dealer, lived with them, which made life uncomfortable for them. The day he left, after Henri came searching his room, by the wee hours of the morning, the police stormed their house in search of drugs, which they found stacked in a bag, and they got arrested. This marked the beginning of a heart-wrenching story. Grab a copy to find out what she suffered in jail and how she survived.
I admire the author's strength in not only enduring the suffering she was put through but also in sharing her story. It takes only courage to narrate her horrid experiences with so many vivid details. Her descriptions of her experiences were in-depth and lucid, and they made me cringe at times with emotions because of how horribly she and her first husband, Rick, were treated. I learned a lot from her experiences and the decisions she made to survive. One would be the part where she stood up to her father, her family, and society by leaving her husband and the country. Though there were so many uncertainties and she lacked the skills to stay on her own and raise a child, she still proceeded with her plans and learned to fend for herself. There is also a lesson here, which is that a lack of skills is no reason to quit. Once you make the decision, you can learn the skills.
I found nothing to dislike about this book; the story was narrated from the first person's point of view, which is the author's. Although I heard some parts of her husband's experience, it was only the one with her present. And it was disheartening that they could not share or talk about what they experienced after the ordeal; I believe this is the reason why they separated. I would have loved to hear about her husband's part of the ordeal because I believe he too must have gone through a lot for it to have changed him that much and disrupted their marriage.
I would rate this book five out of five stars because it was an engrossing read, and as I said earlier, I disliked nothing about this book. Furthermore, I discovered some errors, but not enough to deduct a star while reading, which indicates that this book was professionally edited. Fans of non-fiction and memoirs would enjoy this book. Also, some descriptions were gruesome, and I would recommend this book to those who don't find this and the use of strong language unsettling.
******
The Parrot's Perch
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon