The broken country

AI Rating: 7/10 - "The Broken Country" is a poetic memoir blending Paisley Rekdal's translation of 12th-century Chinese poet Li Qingzhao with her father's battle against Parkinson's. It heavily features identity politics, exploring Rekdal's biracial (Chinese-Norwegian/Utah Mormon) heritage, experiences of racism, microaggressions, and Asian-American otherness in the U.S. Themes of disability, gender (via female poet), and cultural displacement prioritize social justice reflections over pure narrative flow, framing personal loss through progressive lenses on race and belonging. Literary but infused with diversity messaging.