An Untamed State by Roxane Gay

An Untamed State

by Roxane Gay

Mireille Duval Jameson is living a fairy tale. The strong-willed youngest daughter of one of Haiti’s richest sons, she has an adoring husband, a precocious infant son, by all appearances a perfect life. The fairy tale ends one day when Mireille is kidnapped in broad daylight by a gang of heavily armed men, in front of her father’s Port au Prince estate. Held captive by a man who calls himself The Commander, Mireille waits for her father to pay her ransom. As it becomes clear her father intends to resist the kidnappers, Mireille must endure the torments of a man who resents everything she represents.

An Untamed State is a novel of privilege in the face of crushing poverty, and of the lawless anger that corrupt governments produce. It is the story of a wilful woman attempting to find her way back to the person she once was, and of how redemption is found in the most unexpected of places. An Untamed State establishes Roxane Gay as a writer of prodigious, arresting talent.

Reviewed by Beth C. on

5 of 5 stars

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First, let me note that this book could very well be a trigger for women who have experienced sexual assault. If you are at all sensitive to such things, then I would recommend maybe checking into it further (library?) before purchasing.

Miri is a daughter of Haiti - her parents are from there, though they got the start in the United States. They met there, and lived there for years, saving money to move back. Summers were spent in Haiti with family. Eventually, Miri's parents moved back while Miri stayed in the US, marrying an American. On a trip back to visit her (now very wealthy) parents, Miri is kidnapped. In Haiti, this is very common - people are kidnapped every day, and there are professional negotiators to help talk down the fee, then the kidnapped is returned unharmed. Except this time, Miri's father refuses to pay the ransom. As Miri is trapped, the reader learns about her childhood, her courtship, and her family - all while experiencing through Miri's eyes her continual need to survive.

Rarely do I read something so horrifying, yet so hauntingly beautiful. This could be a "ripped from the headlines", except that long after the news reporters would have moved onto something else, this story covers the aftermath in all its painful reality. The writing is gorgeous, which seems strange to say about a topic so brutal. The violence within the story is NEVER gratuitous, it just...is what it is. Honestly, the hardest part to read is the aftermath - the exploration of what one does to survive such a thing, and if it's possible to ever truly recover.

It's a sensitive subject, and Roxane Gay handles it beautifully. It's a hard subject to read about, but in her exploration of Haiti's people and culture, it becomes clear that this same problem (the haves vs. the have-nots) exists in so many other places and is often the root of many similar problems. A timely book, and a beautiful one.

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  • Started reading
  • 11 August, 2014: Finished reading
  • 11 August, 2014: Reviewed