Published by Green Place Books Genres: Memoir
Format: ARC, eBook
Being the Survivor of a Survivor….
In “The Long Tail of Trauma: A Memoir”, Elizabeth Wilcox tells the story of her maternal ancestors from 1904- 2018. This book deals with abuse and trauma and how it is passed down through families. She has done extensive research but also had to be creative in giving a “voice” to her maternal relatives.
Elizabeth Wilcox’s memoir is beautifully written and extensively researched. She shares what it was like to grow up with a mother with PTSD. Wilcox also tells the stories of her mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She lays bare her family’s history of trauma, PTSD and mental health issues. Her story begins near Liverpool before WWI and continues through the Pied Piper and ends in America.
Mother-daughter relationships can be beautiful, but they can also be tricky and sad. Added stressors and trauma can further impact those relationships. We pass things down in our family – not just DNA and heirlooms, but also behaviors, beliefs and pain. Ever do something a certain way simply because that is how your mother did it? Elizabeth also shows how trauma can be handed down in the same manner.
This is the story of Anna, Violet, Barbara and Elizabeth. They each had their own cross to bear, each had to deal with difficult situations, make difficult choices, endure, and continue living. She details how some lived through the horrors of war (WWI and WWII) including Nazis, how the women faced separation from family, harsh treatment, abuse, and neglect. She explores the impact these things had on the women’s mental health and relationships.
This was a thought provoking and moving memoir. Keep in mind that the historical facts are real, and she did interview her mother, but she did create conversations and thoughts for her maternal grandmothers in order to tell their stories.
Thought provoking, beautifully written, and riveting. I imagine writing this book was a very cathartic experience for the author.
I received a copy of this book from Elizabeth Wilcox’s Literary Publicist, Stephanie Barko in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.