You Won’t Get Free of It by Rachel Aviv review
The most complex of female relationships is thrown into sharp relief in this moving series of essays
TL;DR
- Rachel Aviv's book "You Won't Get Free of It" features six stories about mothers and daughters, exploring human psychology and mental health.
- The stories delve into themes of madness, delusions, paranoia, and the reliability of memory, as seen in profiles of Linda Bishop and Elizabeth Loftus.
- Aviv reflects on her own "deficit of curiosity" about mothers, which changed after she became a mother herself, and how motherhood might influence a writer's perspective.
- A standout piece profiles novelist Alice Munro's alleged failure to protect her daughter from abuse, examining her choice not to act and its repercussions.
- The collection touches upon the idea that mothers remain enigmatic figures and explores the subtle ways parental actions and perspectives can influence their children, even in their careers.