Heavy
Score Modern
What it's about
Kiese Laymon writes to his mother about growing up Black in Jackson, Mississippi: her brilliance and her violence, his weight and his eating disorder, gambling, abuse and grief. Through storytelling and honest conversation with his family, he tries to bring into the light everything they were taught to hide, from the most private parts of their relationship to the way the country treats Black bodies.
Why it's worth reading
It's on The New York Times' list of the 100 best books of the 21st century. It's one of the most honest memoirs ever written about family and the body, and its language is extraordinary.
You'll love it if you liked
Between the World and Me, Educated: A Memoir or The Glass Castle
Good to know
It's addressed to his mother, which gives it unusual intimacy. It deals with abuse and sexual violence.
Quick answers
Is Heavy worth reading?
Yes. It's on The New York Times' list of the 100 best books of the 21st century. It ranks #160 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 84.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Heavy about?
Kiese Laymon writes to his mother about growing up Black in Jackson, Mississippi: her brilliance and her violence, his weight and his eating disorder, gambling, abuse and grief. Through storytelling and honest conversation with his family, he tries to bring into the light everything they were taught to hide, from the most private parts of their relationship to the way the country treats Black bodies.
How long does it take to read Heavy?
About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Heavy?
If you liked it, try Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover or The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
By the numbers
- Readers97 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller39 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On the NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list.
Where it ranks
- #33 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #88 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #160 of the 2,819 books we rank
On the lists
- NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century
Reads as
True story, Moving
If you like this, read next
Between the World and Me
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Educated: A Memoir
When Breath Becomes Air
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea