I read Roxane Gay's An Untamed State last month with little to no idea what I was getting into. I only knew the basic premise: a woman is kidnapped in Nigeria and held for ransom. Turns out, An Untamed State is so much more than that--it is the story of this woman's gruesome, terrifying, horrific 13 days in captivity, followed by an equally relentless and cruelly honest account of her attempts to rebuild her life upon release.Gay shies away from nothing: beating, rape, torture, grief, depression, survival. She reveals with beauty and honesty the depths of human cruelty, but also our ability to overcome the most unimaginable of situations. She explores what happens when we are pushed beyond the limits of our emotional and physical boundaries, and what lengths we will go to to retain our sense of self.
An Untamed State is horrible. It is beautiful. It is one of the most powerful books I've read in years. It graces the list of the best books I read in May, as well as the best books I've read so far this year. It's a book I think everyone should read, though I wish we lived in a world in which no one should have to.
If you've read this, I'd love to hear what you thought. If not, is it something you think you'll pick up?
---An Untamed State | Roxane Gay | Grove Press, Black Cat | May 2014 | 368 pages
