Book: Hunger by Roxane Gay
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: 2016
Pages: 320

Source: e-boook from Library

The first quarter, 2018, selection for nonfiction readers who always get a lot of support at the Doing Dewey blog.

Summary: In Hunger, Roxane Gay shares a series of events and reflections from her life, from a traumatic childhood event, through positive and negative experiences with lovers, and threaded through with experiences with food and weight.

Thoughts: Hunger was the first quarter selection for the Nonfiction Reading Challenge of 2018 at the Doing Dewey blog. From what I’ve seen of other’s reviews, this book has been well-liked. And, remarkably difficult to blog about. I read it weeks ago and I’m determined to post this review by the end of the week, and quarter.

What I wanted to say was “this is short and amazing; go read it yourself.” Since I read it in e-book format, I didn’t know the page count until I typed it above. Hunger was so amazing that I thought it was a hundred pages shorter than it really was.

As someone who struggles with overeating and being overweight, there was a lot that I related to. But, as the author pointed out, my “Lane Bryant fat” is not the same as what she has experienced.

Roxane Gay writes with such clarity and matter-of-factness, that it invites awareness and insight, not sympathy. The reader isn’t asked to inhabit someone else’s shoes, but is asked to be a humble witness. We’re also asked to think through deeper meanings of consumption, physical appearance, love, health, and success.

Appeal: If you’re human and thoughtful, you’ll get something from Hunger.

Challenges: I’ll link this up with Nonfiction Friday at Doing Dewey tomorrow.

Have you read this book? What did you think?