The Yellow House, source
Hi! Welcome to my blog where I will be reviewing books selected from the American Library Association’s weekly planner for July 2023-December 2024. The sixth I will be reviewing is The Yellow House written by Sarah M. Broom, a memoir focused on her family and their New Orlean’s home.
Sarah M. Broom and her family, source
This memoir explores the relationship between place, identity, and family. Her family’s yellow house in New Orleans served as an anchor point for the Broom family for many decades.
Exploring the city of New Orleans through the eyes of a local, you learn the feel for the social and cultural aspects of living in the city. She intertwines her family’s history with the broader history of the city itself.
The memoir is a testament to the impact of Hurricane Katrina, which serves as a pivotal event in the narrative. Through Broom’s eyes, we learn about a first-hand perspective of a resident, wrought by the hurricane and the government’s inadequate response to the crisis, highlighting the systemic issues that marginalized communities face in times of disaster.
One of the standout features of “The Yellow House” is Broom’s exquisite prose. Her writing is evocative and lyrical, transporting readers to the streets of New Orleans and allowing us to feel the vibrant, complex history of the city. Broom’s keen observations and poetic descriptions breathe life into her narrative, making the setting and characters come alive on the page.
Throughout the book, Broom skillfully peels back the layers of her family’s history, revealing the complexities of their relationships and the struggles they faced. Her portrayal of her mother, Ivory Mae, is particularly poignant, capturing the matriarch’s strength, resilience, and enduring love for her family.
“The Yellow House” is not only a story of personal growth and self-discovery but also a reflection on the broader issues of displacement, race, and class. Broom deftly explores how these factors intersect and affect her own identity and that of her family. In doing so, she invites readers to contemplate their own connections to place, heritage, and belonging.
While the narrative is deeply engaging and moving, it can at times feel fragmented, with non-linear storytelling that requires readers to piece together the timeline of events. This narrative structure can be a bit challenging, but it ultimately serves to mirror the complexity of memory and personal history.
In conclusion, “The Yellow House” is a masterful memoir that goes beyond the personal to tackle universal themes of identity, place, and family. Sarah M. Broom’s storytelling and evocative writing make this a compelling and thought-provoking read. It’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring importance of home, even in the face of profound loss and displacement. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in family, identity, and the indomitable spirit of the people of New Orleans.