the language of bodies by suzanne dewitt hall

This book is sure to inspire deep thoughts, ignite even deeper feelings, and follow the reader long after the last page has been turned. The poetry is employed, perhaps, most effectively in the striking religious and spiritual imagery that undergirds the narrative without overpowering it. Rich, evocative language brings every element of it to life, from the deepest emotions to the seemingly quotidian details of scenery and setting.

While the plot of The Language of Bodies alone is compelling-and tragically relevant given the transphobia and ignorance that still run rampant in our world-it is the hypnotic poetry of the storytelling that makes this story unforgettable.

The journey through the darker and lighter ends of this emotional spectrum is riveting, and even suspenseful as the reader accompanies Maddie, watching to see which end she will eventually cling to. Her quest is filled with agony, guilt, hatred, but also surprising flashes of enlightenment, humanity, and hope. The main character Maddie is ensnared by an unrelenting thirst for revenge against the man who murdered her wife, a transgender woman and activist. Part haunting grief portrait, part bittersweet love story, part odyssey of healing and hope, The Language of Bodies is a powerful novel that captivates the reader’s emotions from start to finish. “It was beginning to feel like flashes of heat lightning, striking suddenly in a summer sky, to stun the cicadas and birds into silence.”Ī creative telling of the poisonous emotions such as guilt that can keep us from living happily. “In her view, feeling shame about ourselves was a rejection of the gift of existence.”. Themes of compassion, forgiveness, and redemption are woven throughout.Ī searing portrait of the anguish of grief and a wife’s thirst for revenge for the murder of a beautiful, powerful transwoman.

I highly recommend this book for a deeper understanding of a non-traditional yet ‘normal’ marriage, and just for a riveting story that keeps you up late at night wanting to know what happens! #LGBTQIA+ This story, stemming from the real murder of a trans woman in Missouri, has interesting subplots that kept surprising me throughout. “Char’s life was a song of gratitude.” A ‘will she do it’ rather than a ‘whodunnit,’ this beautiful story of love, grief, and revenge is centered on the main character surviving the guilt she feels when her wife, a trans woman of color, is murdered.

The language of bodies by suzanne dewitt hall