Will I love What We Carry?

I loved What We Carry for the intricate, nuanced relationship between Maya and her mother.

The woman she thought she knew gradually revealed herself in unexpected ways, leaving Maya—and me—grappling with confusion, longing, and a sense of loss. Witnessing Maya come to terms with her mother’s complexities and her own understanding of what it means to be a mother was both heartbreaking and uplifting.

The book pulled me with its honesty and vulnerability and stayed with me long after the last page. I have re-read this book a couple of times. 

If you’ve ever questioned how well you really know your mother, or yourself, this book will move you.

As I read What We Carry, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own maternal relationships. The story unravels the assumptions Maya makes about her mother, only to discover a deeper, more complicated truth. It made me wonder what my own mother has carried in silence, and what I want my children to know about me. Maya’s ability to stay with her mother through illness, despite their tensions, felt like an invitation.

I didn’t walk away with all the answers, but… show more.

While I found this memoir to be beautiful in language and story, I connected most with the author’s stark revelations. She writes from the perspective of a daughter, then a new mother, and finally a caregiver for both her child and her ailing mother. As she navigates life in these varied roles, she begins to see the truth about her mother with compelling clarity. In the end, I felt a deep sense of understanding and was able to remind myself that while I have been naive in my own relationships, it was love that compelled me to cling to my… show more.