Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Trethewey

 

This heartbreaking memoir of a daughter coming to terms with the brutal murder of her mother (at the hands of her stepfather) is told in exquisite language (it is her poetic background of course).  It is a profound experience, quite visceral, and very wrenching.  The pain, loss, and grief comes washing over you and the setting of the deep South at a time of deep segregation just add to the elegiac feelings.  The way she confronted life and death and the aftermath of such a horrible crime is truly amazing.  It is a compelling look at loss and the ripple effects of racism and domestic abuse.