The Other Side of Paradise: A Memoir,   ISBN:9780743292900

Customer Rating: 

It was only difficult to read because my emotions were overwhelmed from time to time. Although I grew up in the Surburbs of long island, with a pool in back and grass to cut on sunny saturday mornings in summer, I was not devoid of my own personal pains, lifes obstacles and dramatic tragedy in a place I thought was paradise as well. I commend and personally thank Miss Staceyann Chin for a superb exploration and deliverance of self. And as a poet she evidently was compelled to share this memoir, because as a poet, nothing is written from the heart without being shared and heard by others. It was tragic in spots, it made me laugh at loud and shed many tears. It opened my eyes and heart to what family life may be outside what some consider a norm and in these days its all rare, but nonetheless it was the stucture that mold and built this phenonmenal poet, writer, activist and author who now has a notch in her belt that will inspire, completely excite and revelate the inner beings of many... who may be drowning, constricted and jailed by personal conflicts that need to freed by self acceptance and understanding of their inner world. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for a read that not only educated and taught personal lesson, but pulled me inside out, gratified, brought me greater appreciation to those I deem family and deeper love to self. A Tremendous memoir!

Customer Rating: 

After reading "The Other Side of Paradise" and growing up in Jamaica under a very different circumstances, I have learnt that one's hardships can be used to mould a person into an amazingly brave, inspiring, warrior woman. Staceyann has continued to touch the lives of all those who get the opportunity to know just how truly talented and good-natured she is. We in the World's LGBTT community are truly blessed and happy that we have her to help fight for our human rights and speak out against the many unaired violations that are too often experienced. This book gives voice to all the little girls in Jamaica, and places like our island, who are left to fend for themselves far too often. This story will inspire them to reach beyond their realities and RISE like the phoenix from the fire, and BE the star they truly are. I love you Staceyann. Thank you for the gift of your story.

Customer Rating: 

I chose this book on a whim. I don't know Staceyann Chin's other work-- but have discovered via Dr. Google that she is well known as a performance poet and an LGBT activist. So that's good-- I would have picked it up even more gladly if I had known more about her. I have been watching clips of her work all morning. I'll include a link to one in the comments below this review.

I chose the book because I enjoy memoirs by women. I also picked it up since there isn't much that I know about Jamaica except for a brief vacation when I was too young to do much except be uneasy about the poverty that I saw beneath the beauty. In some respects, the book is precisely what you might expect-- poverty, family, race, struggle and education. There are also some surprises-- Chin is unusually honest. She is not afraid to portray herself as unlikable, reactive and angry. Many memoirs seem to have so much distance from their issues that the past is a glossy mirror-- I like that Chin does not take that route. Some of the most interesting sections for me were the later ones, where she tackles issues of gender and sexuality in Jamaica-- talking very openly about her own displacement as a lesbian in what should have been a liberal academic setting.

It's a tough book, with bitter edges and a strong message. It has the sound of a woman still working through the material, rather than a triumphant look back at the distant past. That made me like it more, but may surprise some who expect a more valedictory arc. Well worth reading, I think.

Customer Rating: 

I enjoyed this book a lot. It gave a great inside look into the Jamaican culture as viewed from a child's eyes. I felt very close to the main character. she showed a very strong will and persevered many obstacles as she grew up. I really enjoyed her rebellious spirit.

Customer Rating: 

You can feel every word of this book in your bones. It stays with you. If you know Staceyann from her poetry, you'll recognize her fierce wit, storytelling, and insight here. If this is your first time hearing Staceyann (and you can't help but hear these words; even on the page her voice hits you in the face like sweet, tough music), get ready for an amazing journey. Few writers/artists/human beings can speak the truth in ways that shake you to your core. Staceyann Chin is unquestionably one of these rare gifted people.