Heart Berries

 Heart Berries: a memoir
By Terese Marie Mailhot
Counterpoint, 2018. 142 pgs. Nonfiction

Mailhot's memoir is a scattered, but poetic story of her upbringing on the Seabird Island Indian reservation. Most of the book you can tell is written during Mailhot's stay at a psychiatric hospital. She willingly checked herself in after attempting to take her life, as long as she could write in a notebook she brought and could be home soon enough to see her son for Christmas. She writes about her experiences as a Native woman that is making her way in school, relationships, and society controlled by white people.

The story is not linear, and jumps around from her painful abusive past to a raw emotional letter written to a lover. She opens up about her most deep desires, and honestly owns up to her deepest desires and what makes up who she is. 

Following Mailhot's narrative over audio format was good, but sometimes difficult to follow if she quickly changed subjects. However, the poetic aspect was greatly enhanced by listening to this. The way her stories are portrayed and thoughts on her mother are beautiful. It feels like you are reading a journal, making it a deep and personal memoir. 

MM