An Untamed State Paperback – May 6, 2014

Wow, if this isn't made into a Netflix miniseries soon, somebody's sleeping at their desk. This had everything I love in fiction-- a strong and flawed female protagonist, a dark storyline, breakneck pacing, and even a little romance. I'm keeping AN UNTAMED STATE on my Kindle forever as a reminder of what good writing looks like, because whoa. My feelings have been put into a blender and thoroughly shaken.AN UNTAMED STATE is about the daughter of one of Haiti's wealthiest businessmen. She is a lawyer and a success in her own right, married to a white man who is the son of farmers. Once, she helped take care of his mother while she was recovering from cancer. His mother was an ignorant and proud woman, but her brush with death and her love of her son made her love Mireille too. Now, she and her new baby and her husband are in Haiti, and she is slowly getting her husband to love the country she has been taught to love.And then she gets kidnapped.And her father refuses to pay the price the men who have taken her are asking.The story is told in two parts: during and after. One is a traditional thriller story of survival and bravery. The other is a story of healing and recovery. Mireille and her husband, Michael, are the narrators. I don't want to say too much more because of spoilers, but the things that Mireille endures at the hands of her captors is brutal. It reminded me a lot of the dark erotica, BREAK HER. Through torture, Mireille learns a lot about her own ability to survive and endure. She is reduced to an untamed state, which could also refer to Haiti itself: a place of beauty that, in her privilege, she has always glimpsed through rose-tinted glasses, unable to see the poverty and the desperation that can make mortal men so cruelly desperate.This book has triggers for virtually everything but it is so deftly handled and such a starkly brilliant portrayal of humanity at its best and worst that nothing felt sensational. I love Gay's nonfiction and felt only lukewarm about her fictional short story collection that I read, but this book was absolutely masterful. I seriously can't even find the words to explain how much I loved this and why, but I know it's probably going to end up being one of my favorite books of the year. It's that good.5 out of 5 stars

The theme of fairy tales, and the subversion of that theme, runs throughout Roxane Gay's debut novel, An Untamed State. American-born Mireille is visiting Haiti, where her parents are from and where they've returned in their later years, with her husband and newborn son. They're just leaving the gated compound where her family lives when they're suddenly accosted by kidnappers and Mireille is taken. They demand $1 million for her return, and she's held for 13 days before ransom is paid. During those 13 days, she's brutally raped and tortured, and the woman she is when she's released is a world away from the woman she was before.We learn about her life through the memories she experiences while she's captive. How she grew up, watching her talented father chafe against the ways in which he was treated as "lesser than" because of his status as an immigrant. Her relationship with her siblings, especially her sister. The way she and her husband Michael met and fell in love. Their privileged life together in Miami, where she's an immigration attorney and he's an engineer. And then when she gets back, how very unable she is to resume that life. The second half of the novel relates Mireille's flight to Michael's family farm in Nebraska to heal...or more accurately, recover enough to be able to deal. The wounds she's suffered aren't the kind that really heal, after all.The motif of fairy tales is everywhere, from the beginning, where the book literally opens with "once upon a time", to the end, in which Mireille is given the chance to confront one of her captors. When I first read it, the ending bothered me. It seemed too convenient, to tie things up too neatly. Life doesn't work that way, and otherwise the book is deeply, unflinchingly realistic. When you think about it through the context of fairy tales, though, it has that kind of wish fulfillment that the modern versions of these stories often do. But the bulk of the story is filled with the things that get cut out of the tales for today's world: the violence inflicted on Mireille is completely unvarnished and it is very difficult to read.And that difficulty of reading is the only reason I'm not more enthusiastic about this novel. Roxane Gay is a phenomenal writer and the book is compelling and hard to put down. She draws realistic, captivating characters who have shades of gray and consistent internal logic, and the way she subverts Mireille's "fairy tale" narrative of her life with Michael by showing us its sometimes-ugly underbelly is brilliant. I could go on forever about how incredibly-written it is. But with the subject matter being what it is, it's hard to recommend this book widely. There's a great deal of sexual, physical and emotional abuse. If that's something you're able to handle, I'd definitely recommend it.

Very well written and captivating book that provides an interesting insight into family dynamics. Having said that, the book describes graphic abuse that I found disturbing. Liked the ending.

An Untamed State is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It deals with some very dark subject matter, yet never becomes depressing. It is a tribute to the human spirit and the power of love. In particular, Miri's relationship with her mother in law presents a beautiful story arc - it shows how, sometimes, those we love the most end up betraying us in all manner of small and also significant ways; while others, of whom we have no expectations, can often prove to be our saviours. At no point did anything in this novel ring untrue - I don't know what research Roxane Gay did in relation to kidnapping and ptsd but her writing was so heartfelt and emotional that it never jarred. Ultimately, if you're of a delicate disposition then this novel won't be for you - it's not for the squeamish (although nothing ever felt gratuitous and even the worst elements of Miri's ordeal were handled with deftness and compassion by the author). But if you're after a gripping read that's capable of bringing tears to your eyes, then this novel's a winner.

Compelling novel from an incredibly gifted writer. The subject matter is difficult, yet Gay deftly weaves the reader through until a conclusion, which is immensely satisfying. Read in one sitting, couldn't put it down!!

Brilliant story about a woman who is kidnapped while visiting Haiti. Bought the book and audible version. Great read/listen. This writer is exceptionally talented and knows how to hold the attention of her audience. Enjoyed so much I plan to listen to the story again. I would buy anything written by this author.

I loved this book for its honesty and the author for not shying away from a difficult and painful subject matter, I knew next to nothing about kidnapped victims in countries like this but this book opened my eyes and I congratulate the writer for doing such a wonderful job.

Simply no words, amazing, beautiful, intense, haunting, dark, evocative, well-written, observant. I've fallen in love with Roxane Gay after having just finished this book, after reading Difficult Woman, also absolutely recommended! Can't wait to read more of her work!!