Hunger by Roxane Gay, 306 pages
As a fat woman walking through this world, I felt this memoir echo in my bones. Gay's words were equal parts galvanizing, galling, defeating, and triumphant. I hadn't read anything she'd written and chose Hunger because the idea of a memoir to one's body--a missive, a rumination, a plea--appealed to me. As a woman in society, I am all too familiar with the (often unreasonable) aesthetic demands placed on women.
In the words of Time: "Gay's writing is simple and direct, but never cold or sterile. She directly confronts complex issues of identity and privilege, but it's always accessible and insightful."
I was unaware of the extreme violence of her past. That fact coupled with the intensity and raw honesty of the text was like jumping face first in a sea of ice water. I was absorbed and read the book very quickly, but it stays with me. I suspect I'll be chewing on it for a while.
