5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Read
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2024
https://www.amazon.com/review/R5MWLM5P8GC42/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
Thank you, Author Mallory Eaglewood, for writing “Throwaway People”. This poignant study of cultural misconceptions and the damage prejudice does is an important book to read. Throughout this story, Ms. Eaglewood skillfully interweaves these universal human issues with the difficulty of negotiating personal relationships. The people “thrown away” in this story range from entire cultures and generations of Indigenous People to individual children in the care of others who deemed them unworthy. So many cultures, so many individuals, it is as if no one has been spared. Ms. Eaglewood’s mastery of the written word and compassion for others comes through in this study of human nature.
In this story, the main character, Birdie, learns much about family, friends, and acquaintances, secrets, lies, and poor treatment of others. As readers, we are drawn into her own deep-seated, often suppressed emotions, while watching the mysteries of a murder and of lost relatives unfold. Through these experiences, Birdie also learns more about her own ways of thinking, loving, and forgiving.
Birdie’s growing pride in her mixed heritage and her contributions to illuminating injustice are well conveyed. Emotions, personality traits, and character flaws are realistic and well developed. I also enjoyed the bits of humor sprinkled throughout the story. For example, the “worst coffee on the planet” made me chuckle.
I thank author Mallory Eaglewood for her illumination of how we all look back on broken connections with family and friends and regret the actions we did not take. If you are young enough to have opportunities to not let this happen to you, please embrace this lesson found within the storyline of “Throwaway People”. Too many of us don’t realize what we missed until too late. — Pat Spencer, author of Story of a Stolen Girl and A Baker’s Dozen For Writers.