An intimate exploration of motherhood, Linea Nigra approaches the worries and joys of childbearing from a diverse range of inspirations and traditions, from Louise Bourgeois to Ursula K. Le Guin to the indigenous Nahua model Luz Jiménez. Part memoir and part manifesto, Barrera's singular insights, delivered in candid prose, clarify motherhood while also cherishing the mysteries of the body.
A moving study of pregnancy, family, art, and loss ... Barrera interweaves her grandmother’s history as a doula and her mother’s career as an artist with the changes wrought on her own body. Barrera powerfully captures the spectrum of feelings childbearing provokes ... Barrera’s voice is meditative, bolstered by poetic turns of phrase, precise language, and fresh metaphors. 'It’s impossible to be original when you write about being a mother,' Barrera reflects, though her own originality is striking. This beautiful meditation is thick with profound insights.
Barrera communicates her trenchant observations in gorgeous, highly efficient prose that sharply reflects the fragmented reality of pregnancy and early parenthood. Rather than adhering to a traditional narrative structure, the author follows her trains of thought wherever they take her, and readers will be happy to tag along ... A uniquely lyrical account of early motherhood.
