My Rating - 5 out of 5 stars
Publisher - Sidekick PressGenre - Memoir
Publishing year - 2022
Language - English
ISBN - 978-1-7365358-8-2
Pages - 212
Book Review -
When I picked this book, I thought it would be a memoir like others where the author will start with her birth, teenage, school, and college days and the various struggles that shaped her future. But to my surprise, this proved to be a distinct type of tale.
The narrative comes in the form of poetical expressions and wisdom the author yields in her life. She explains them in eight chapters consisting of those near and dear to her heart.
Across the Distance is the debut novel of Christina A. Kemp. She has a psychological background, and it exhibits in her writing. However, the way she shared the details is not something that I often came across, so it does stand out for me.
She lost her father when she was thirteen years old. Her mother started seeing someone else, and her younger brother began doing drugs. She felt loneliness and lack of self-esteem with the nasty remarks of her mother in front of everyone, which created mental anguish. It was clearly visible in her future connections, and although she shared minimal details, but whatever is available in the book will melt your heart.
She was diagnosed with her father's same disease, but she dealt with it alone. I can't imagine the pain she must have felt at that time, but the fear of dealing with family drama was much heavier than dealing with a disease. Toey, her younger brother, and she shared a solid bond when they were children, but with time they grew apart.
The stories were full of pain and anguish the author felt all these years, and I hope that writing them down brings some closure for her. However, she reflected on inner and outer torments and depicted that situations can be changed with determination, and one can create a promising future regardless of lasting aches.
Nonetheless, I'm still not sure how can a person forget all the pain, or will they ever be able to? So maybe, deep down, we hide them and try to move on.
Christina A. Kemp's words are so rhythmic that it binds you from start to end. She shared profound introspections about love, life, family, and relationships. Of course, as a reader, I wanted to read more about her life, but I respect her will to convey what she thought was essential to share and whatnot.
So, if you're seriously looking for a memoir that provides a deeper understanding of attachments, separation, and affinities, pick this one. I recommend it.
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