The Death of a Jaybird: Essays on Mothers and Daughters and the Things They Leave Behind
Written by Jodi M. Savage
Narrated by Deanna Anthony
4/5
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About this audiobook
Reminiscent of The Year of Magical Thinking and Somebody’s Daughter, a deeply empathetic and often humorous collection of essays that explore the author’s ever-changing relationships with her grandmother and mother, through sickness and health, as they experience the joys and challenges of Black American womanhood.
Jodi M. Savage was raised in Brooklyn, New York, by her maternal grandmother. Her whip-smart, charismatic mother struggled with addiction and was unable to care for her. Granny—a fiery Pentecostal preacher who had a way with words—was Jodi’s rock, until Alzheimer’s disease turned the tables, and a 28-year-old Jodi stepped into the role of caretaker. It was up to Jodi to get them both through the devastations of a deteriorating mind. After Granny passed away, Jodi spent years trying to reckon with her grief. Jodi and her mother were both diagnosed with breast cancer nearly a decade later, and then Jodi lost her too.
In this searing, candid collection of essays, Jodi illuminates the roles that identity and memory play in preserving those we love. Jodi explores the lives of modern Black women and communities through the prism of her personal experiences. With grace, creativity, and insight, she looks at femininity, family, race, mental illness, grief, healthcare, and faith. Jodi deftly portrays how trauma is inherited, and how the struggle to break a generational curse can last a lifetime.
The Death of a Jaybird is a thoughtful examination of complicated family love, loss, and the liberating power of claiming our stories.
Editor's Note
Inspiring…
Rooted in the author’s personal story and family history, but encompassing shared experiences of Black women in America, “The Death of a Jaybird” is a profound essay collection about legacy and memory, grief and reckoning. From battling cancer to becoming her grandmother’s caretaker, Savage has faced enough challenges for a lifetime — making her resilience and observations even more inspiring.
Jodi M. Savage
Jodi M. Savage is a writer, speaker and DEI attorney in New York City. Her essays have appeared in the Huffington Post, Catapult, Kweli Journal, WSQ Journal and the VIDA Review. Jodi facilitates workshops about grief, caregiving, breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease and writing the mother wound. She is a Goldwater Fellow and a current MFA candidate in New York University's creative nonfiction program. The Death of a Jaybird is her first book.
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- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hi Good morning Thank you so much for application amazing