Burke narrates this journey to healing so that each chapter—although they do build upon each other—can stand alone as its own meditation on a subject or an emotion or a focal moment...The result is that her voice as an activist now, post-Me Too, sounds no more or less fierce than any of her other voices, and it is clear that she holds each of these multitudes, these truths, within her still ... Since hers is an emotional journey, the events are not always recalled chronologically; healing requires practice and will not always be linear. She is, thus, a master of pacing ... the emotional present of each moment wells from the page ... She is grateful and proud and loving and celebratory and funny. She speaks deep wisdom plainly and easily. She doesn’t mince words or try to make excuses ... Burke’s honesty reinforces #metoo as the work of a movement, not just a moment.
... a must read ... Tarana’s writing is raw and brutally honest, and she does not sugarcoat anything ... According to the publisher, Unbound 'is the story of an inimitable woman’s inner strength and perseverance, all in pursuit of bringing healing to her community and the world around her, but it is also a story of possibility, of empathy, of power and of the leader we all have inside ourselves.' I couldn’t have said it better myself.
[An] unflinching, open-hearted, beautifully told account of becoming one of the most consequential activists in America ... In spite of her trauma, Burke writes with humor and gratitude about her experiences. She delves into the rich history of her family ... Unbound is not just a thoroughly engrossing read. It’s also an important book that helps us understand the woman who has been so influential as our country struggles to acknowledge women’s trauma.
Burke writes an important memoir that powerfully illustrates a deeply personal political movement and shows how hashtags and social media can amplify the reiterative yet individual tragedies that are perpetuated by systems and by individuals emboldened by those systems ... Painful and personal, yet beautiful and necessary, this book deserves to be read for its political significance and literary merit. Burke’s writing shines when she describes finding her voice as an aspiring activist.
Burke’s writing is blunt, and shines when she is describing her journey toward activism ... In many passages, Unbound reads like a diary entry, a simple recounting of memories without narrative flair. Burke’s deeply personal story foregrounds important rhetoric of our time and will speak directly to readers who can relate to her struggles and those who want to empathize with them better.
[A] powerful debut ... In evocative prose, she reflects on the way her trauma fractured her sense of self...and is equally forthcoming about her moments of courage and uncertainty ... Most memorable is the intense love and respect that comes through in her recollections of the young people who have trusted her with their own painful stories. Intensely moving and unapologetically frank, Burke’s fearless memoir will uplift and inspire the next generation of survivors, advocates, and truth-tellers.
A soul-baring memoir by one the most significant social activists of the past two decades ... Through searing prose and riveting storytelling, Burke lays her trauma bare alongside beautifully rendered moments ... Burke’s reckoning with her painful past becomes the blueprint for 'me too.' Told with candor and deep vulnerability, this story is raw and sobering but also a source of healing and hope for other survivors. An unforgettable page-turner of a life story rendered with endless grace and grit.
