Autobiography of a Face Lucy Grealy and Ann Patchett 2003 |
Reviewed by Peggy Vincent
When this book came out, it created a sensation, not just for the raw facts of Lucy Grealy's ordeal but even more for the lyrical, insightful point of view from which it was written. Diagnosed at 9 years of age with Ewing's sarcoma, a potentially fatal cancer that attacked her lower jaw, she underwent disfiguring surgery and horrific chemo and radiation that further distorted her appearance. She used, in this memoir, her experience as a springboard from which to soar into passionate examinations of the meaning of truth, beauty, genius, love - all those biggies - and she did it with stunning success. Her background as a poet shines through each paragraph of this seminal book. But. Then she died, and although her death was ruled accidental, it's clear she had been on a steady downward spiral through the last couple of years of her life. Ann Patchett's stunning and conflicted story of her 20-year friendship with Grealy (Truth and Beauty) uncovers the raw underbelly of Lucy Grealy's personality, her unending quest to be special, first, best, and most of all, lovable. Reviewed by Peggy Vincent |
Truth and Beauty: A Friendship Ann Patchett 2005 |
This memoir is about the friendship between two woman writers, the novelist Ann Patchett and the poet/memoirist Lucy Grealy. When Patchett and Grealy meet in college, Grealy is famous on campus, for her talent, her charisma, and her tragic and dramatic life story-- much of her jaw is missing, she has undergone repeated unsuccessful surgeries to repair her face, and she suffers numerous health and living problems because she can't chew or swallow properly. Patchett is a bit of a nobody. But they end up becoming roommates, and bond instantly in the way that people do when they suddenly meet someone they can talk to about everything they always thought no one else could understand, and with whom the conversation flows. Besides that, they have chemistry. Though there are erotic elements in their relationship, what they mainly have is a friendship that's as lasting and passionate as a lifelong love-affair. In a sense, it is a lifelong love affair. Reviewed by Rachel Manija Brown |
Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship Gail Caldwell 2010 |
From the start of this profoundly beautiful story we know that Gail Caldwell loses her best friend Caroline Knapp. As she puts it so precisely, you can't "sidestep the cruelty of an intolerable loss." For about a third of this book the words were blurry because it is so moving. Just when I thought I had composed myself enough to read on, I cried again. Sometimes I'd read a sentence and reread it again and again because it was so true. This is the story of two soul mates who love dogs, swimming and sculling. In some way it doesn't matter what they were doing, they just loved being together. After an outing they would find themselves both at home calling each other on the phone. Their friendship is deep, meaningful and essential! There are some surprising details like how they both dated the same man. What are the chances of that happening? Then there is the fact that they both loved drinking at one point in their lives and overcame their addiction before meeting. Gail Caldwell talks briefly about her own drinking problem but mostly focuses on the friendship. Reviewed by Rebecca Johnson |
Mr. Owtia's Guide to Gardening: How I learned the unexpected joy of a green thumb and an open heart. Carol Wall 2014 |
"Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart" By: Carol Wall is a wonderful story of the author, a lily white southern woman, who befriends a dark skinned man from Kenya. Who happens to be an excellent gardener. And bags groceries at the supermarket. As it happens, Ms. Wall has a garden that is in such bad shape that she decides to hire Mister Owita, a neighbor's gardener, to be her gardener as well.
As the garden Mister Owita so tenderly cares for comes back to life in a magnificent fashion, Ms. Wall finds herself transforming as her heart opens up and she learns some valuable lessons about life. And about opening up about secrets, as does Mister Owita. The two form a bond of trust and friendship that is rare and beautiful. The writing is so tender and loving. I had a difficult time putting it down, even when I finished it. Beautiful and poetic it will win a place in your heart. Reviewed by W Gawdy |
These Precious Days
Ann Patchett 2021 |
I am a fan of Ann Patches already, but this new collection is, only four essays in, leaving me in tears. I'm not normally such a sap. And yet, at sixty, her simple tales of life are feeling profound, calming, and most of all, kind in our current world of divisiveness and school shootings and anger over pandemic issues. I am a writer, in a tiny measure compared to this, and Patchett inspires me to get up and write more and better and in a way that will reflect the surprising sweetness we live in. I'm giving this to all the readers I love for Christmas. Thank you, dear Ann, for once again capturing life and these days which really are beyond precious.
Reviewed by Bunny Terry |