The Flower Bearers by Rachel Eliza Griffiths review

The death of a friend and the attempted murder of her husband Salman Rushdie loom large in the poet’s moving memoir

The Flower Bearers by Rachel Eliza Griffiths review

TL;DR

  • Rachel Eliza Griffiths's memoir, "The Flower Bearers," explores personal tragedies and violence.
  • The book details the death of her best friend, Kamilah Aisha Moon, and the attempted assassination of her husband, Salman Rushdie.
  • Griffiths also recounts her mother's death and her own struggles with dissociative identity disorder and a police encounter during a mental health crisis.
  • The memoir highlights the deep friendship between Griffiths and Moon, forged in shared experiences as Black women pursuing creative careers.
  • The book concludes with Griffiths confronting her grief and learning to accept loss as an integral part of life.