Title: A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir
Author: Daisy Hernandez
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Immigrant, LGBTQI, Memoirs
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2014

This was such an amazing biography and memoir – there was something about the lyricality and non-linear story that I just absolutely devoured. Not only was Hernandez able to share her story and experiences, but she managed to do so in a way that was entirely unforgettable. I mean, there was just… something about her writing style that hit my deep in the soul, worming it’s way into my daily thoughts and dreams.

A Cup of Water Under My Bed was one of those memoirs that really made me stop and think. It just wormed my way into my mind and wouldn’t let go. I can’t say that many author’s actually have the talent to do this so thoroughly. And the part that stuck with me the most was how Hernandez talked about language and how she felt, as a child, that she had to hate Spanish to be able to move along to English. It’s a stark reminder of the intensity and confusion that comes along with a total upheaval of your life and culture. One that I still can’t understand, but definitely have Big Feelings around.

Not only does Hernandez unapologetically talk about her experiences as the child of immigrants, but she also talks about her bisexuality as a Latino women, and the unique challenges that this comes with. Rather than being a big deal, this part of her story is seamlessly woven in amongst the rest of her tale. She discusses how differently her aunts dealt with her sexuality and, that, ultimately, it was something that was kind of just… ignored. Hernandez is honest about how her sexuality sits in amongst her daily life, then and now.

The first read through of this was wonderful, and this felt like one of those layered tales that I would love to read again. Gaining something new in the lyrical prose that I wasn’t expecting, learning something and seeing the moments that I’ve missed. It might be a little while, but I can almost guarantee that this will be one that I will actually read again in the future (not something I frequently do with memoirs).

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Image source: Gulf Stream Lit Mag