Sweet, light, and optimistic. It was fun to like and enjoy all of the main characters. I took pleasure in the setting as I have spent many summer days Sweet, light, and optimistic. It was fun to like and enjoy all of the main characters. I took pleasure in the setting as I have spent many summer days at Rehoboth Beach. This one isn't memorable, and it was a pleasant respite for a short while....more
"Every gynecologic condition is linked by a common thread: a gross lack of information. [For example] eighty percent of Black women will develop fibro"Every gynecologic condition is linked by a common thread: a gross lack of information. [For example] eighty percent of Black women will develop fibroids in their lifetime, yet no one knows why they occur, so there is no way to treat the root cause or prevent them from returning. Imagine if there was a condition that affected 80 percent of white men and caused hemorrhaging, debilitating pain, severe bloating, constipation, frequent urination, and infertility. I'd wager that scientists would have long ago discovered the exact biological cause, and there would be a range of effective treatment options available and covered by insurance. . . . How are [most] gynecological health issues so abysmally under-researched, underfunded, and undertreated?"
Tired of treating women and people assigned female at birth (for simplicity's sake I am going to use the terms women and female from here on out) who had not previously been appropriately served by the medical community, Dr. Karen Tang wrote this book to educate our population and spark a change in how women seek gynecologic healthcare.
This book, written in clear, understandable language, begins with a brief history of medical treatment for women and an overview of female anatomy. Tang covers common gynecological issues including, and not limited to: fibroids, endometriosis, polycistic ovarian syndrome, pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary incontinence, PMS, perimenopause and menopause, infertility, gender diversity, and cancer. She carefully explains the conditions, risk factors for them, and treatment options.
Tang also reminds me (and all of her readers) that I have the right to choose the treatment plan that best fits my personal health goals and values, and that no treatment is a valid option.
I am always on the lookout for informative, well written books that will serve my patients; this one meets that benchmark. A copy of this book will soon be on my work library shelf.
Reading Percival Everett's novel Erasure is a lot like playing Snakes and Ladders. You can roll the die and move a few spaces ahead, you can land on aReading Percival Everett's novel Erasure is a lot like playing Snakes and Ladders. You can roll the die and move a few spaces ahead, you can land on a snake and slide backwards, or you can land on a ladder and climb way ahead. This novel is framed as a journal and thus is written in fragments. Sometimes I grasp what Everett is trying to do here, sometimes I am lost or sent searching for more information, and sometimes I am excited and get on with the story.
The overriding story arc: Thelonius "Monk" Ellison, a Black writer, gets furious with the whole U.S. literary scene when a first time author writes a novel called We's Lives In Da Ghetto that becomes a runaway hit and earns a lot of money. In frustration (and maybe petty jealousy), Monk sits down and bangs out a parody of Black life as portrayed in this work. When submitted to a publisher, it is not recognized as such and they offer him 6 figures for his novella My Pafology. The film rights are then sold for millions. Read as a parody, the novella is bitingly funny.
The other story arc is that of Monk's family. Monk describes current events in his journal, interspersed with memories. And there is a parallel between this arc and My Pafology. I think the contrast between this "real" family that is richly portrayed and the very stereotyped ghetto characters in the parody is Everett's point.
Other fragments in Monk's journal are strange story ideas, thoughts about trout fishing and woodworking (Monk's hobbies), dreams, and conversations between post-modern philosophers and artists. There's a lot to delve into for the reader who is so inclined.
While I am fascinated by the various fragments and enjoy the intellectual challenge of trying to piece them together, they do not allow for a seamlessly flowing well-paced story. In the end, is Monk able to assemble these fragments in a meaningful way for his life?
What I walk away from this novel with are the lingering underlying themes of alienation and erasure in a work that is sharply funny, blisteringly angry and achingly sad.
Does the plot of Mick Herron's Spook Street stretch plausibility? Yes. Does he lure me in and get me to buy in anyway? Absolutely!
David Cartwright, aDoes the plot of Mick Herron's Spook Street stretch plausibility? Yes. Does he lure me in and get me to buy in anyway? Absolutely!
David Cartwright, a retired legendary Cold War Spymaster for MI-5 and grandfather to Slow Horse River Cartwright, has dementia. Is he living in the past or is someone actually targeting him? A bomb explodes at a large shopping center during a flash mob performance, and MI-5 staff are pounding the pavements. As these two storylines interweave, the Slow Horses jump into action.
In this installment of the series Herron explores family ties, in particular relationships between fathers and their children. We have Jackson Lamb as the irreverent father figure for his people; David, father of Isobel and grandfather of River; and Frank, (view spoiler)[father of River and Bertrand as well as of Project Cuckoo (hide spoiler)]. Does one prioritize mission or family; and if family, to what lengths will one go to protect them? Tying into this theme is the overarching thread of this series which is the sins of MI5 coming back to haunt the perpetrators and Mother England.
New to the Slow House gang is JK Coe (introduced in the novella "The List"), formerly from Psych Eval and Moira Tregorian, an office administrator who has been sent over by the new First Desk.
Herron sends me careening along with his taut, atmospheric writing. He breathes life and personality into all of his characters. The dialogue snaps and crackles. And the story is threaded with the caustic dark humor that is the trademark of this series.
This tale of betrayal, loyalty, and the consequences of past actions is a worthy addition to the Slough House canon.
Matthew Thomas' debut, and thus far only, novel We Are Not Ourselves follows three generations of Irish Americans in Queens, NY from 1951 to 2011. TheMatthew Thomas' debut, and thus far only, novel We Are Not Ourselves follows three generations of Irish Americans in Queens, NY from 1951 to 2011. The story centers on Eileen Tumulty Leary who is nine when the story begins. Thomas writes of the ordinary everyday activities, desires, ambitions, failings, and achievements of his characters.
Eileen is a caretaker, the daughter of an alcoholic mother and an expansive father with a gambling habit. Hoping to move out of her poverty and into the middle class, she pursues a career in nursing. She meets an academic scientist, falls in love, marries, and they raise a son. Good things and bad things happen.
(view spoiler)[About a third of the way into the story Eileen realizes (finally!) that something is wrong with Ed having ignored what was obvious to this reader for many pages. He is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. Thomas experienced this challenge with his father, and his writing is authentic and packed with restrained emotion. He records Ed's gradual fading, the erosion of family bonds, the emotional physical and financial toll on the family, the isolation the primary caregiver often feels, and the uncertainty of friends in how to treat the person with the illness.
Eileen struggles to keep Ed at home as long as possible. One bittersweet moment:
"She curled up to him, clinging to his side, trying to memorize the feeling of his corporal presence in the bed with her. She did not sleep. She lay listening to his breathing, watching his chest rise and fall, staring at his face in the moonlight coming through the window."
Following Ed's death, Eileen begins to pick up the pieces and create a future for herself.
"She was aware of how she had no competing memory with which to dull the vibrancy of this experience. If to taste forgotten foods was to reanimate the past, then a different kind of reminder, a reminder of future possibility, waited in unfamiliar flavors. She was making a new memory."
And their son Connell finally finds himself and is able to move forward in his life. (hide spoiler)]
Thomas writes polished sentences that distill the essence of each of his characters. He is a wise soul who is insightful about humans, our motivations and our feelings. His tale occasionally meanders a little too much for my taste and he quickly adjusts course and I am right back there with the Learys. My only other niggle is that a few details resolve a little too neatly or are ignored.
As a partner in a 39 year year marriage, a daughter, a mother, and a friend I found this story thoroughly relatable. I enjoyed watching Eileen and Connell grow and mature. We Are Not Ourselves is a tribute to life and resilience and a darned good read.
Thanks to my GR friend Carol for passing on her book to me.
In her book Another Marvelous Thing Laurie Colwin intertwines eight short stories featuring Francis Clemens (Frank) and Josephine Delielle (Billy) to In her book Another Marvelous Thing Laurie Colwin intertwines eight short stories featuring Francis Clemens (Frank) and Josephine Delielle (Billy) to bring their story to life. These two mismatched souls are married to compatible spouses. How do they end up in an extramarital affair that lasts two years? What holds them together? And what ultimately ends their relationship?
Colwin subtly explores the vulnerability of contentment and how different individuals cope with moral ambiguity. Colwin's writing is elegant and assured, and her characters are complex and nuanced. I appreciate her insightful look into these two human hearts.
Peter Attia and Bill Gifford have spent an inordinate amount of time compiling all the latest science in health related fields to come up with their pPeter Attia and Bill Gifford have spent an inordinate amount of time compiling all the latest science in health related fields to come up with their plan for a long "healthspan," the idea of good life quality in a person's later years. Their final product is a fairly comprehensive, though by no means complete, and readable text.
Attia focuses on the four main causes of death: metabolic disease (including insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes), cardiovascular disease, neurogenerative diseases (including Alzheimer's), and cancer. He astutely points out that these conditions begin years before the advanced symptoms show up as disease. His focus is on identifying risk factors and preventing or delaying the full blown states. He notes that every person has a different make up and will react differently to interventions; they should be personalized. He looks at exercise, nutrition, and sleep. I especially appreciate his presentation of the strong link between emotional and mental health with physical health.
While the complete package of what Attia suggests may be more than most people can take on time-wise and financially, there is a lot to be gleaned here for anyone willing to invest in a more vibrant elderhood. You can never start too soon.
The bottom line here is "Isn't everything better with good sleep, real food, plenty of movement, and positive relationships?"...more
David Guterson's The Other is one of those books that gives the promise of setting fruit and then fails to grow and ripen.
Where Guterson succeeds beauDavid Guterson's The Other is one of those books that gives the promise of setting fruit and then fails to grow and ripen.
Where Guterson succeeds beautifully is with his descriptions of the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest. I can feel his love for the land and his knowledge of its rhythms, of its appeal and its dangers.
He lays out the friendship of two young men, Neil Countryman and John William Barry, who meet while running at a high school track meet. Though of disparate backgrounds, they become friends and bond over their love of the outdoors. Guterson paints a vivid picture of their early friendship. As the years pass, however, I am not convinced by their continued relationship.
I do appreciate the observation “In a friendship, you don’t so much change terms as observe terms changing.”
Guterson touches on, without developing, the themes of traumatic long-term consequences of dysfunctional families, the hypocrisies of the overprivileged, the debilitating effects of a large trust fund, and the opting out of a conventional life to live off the land. A novel that deeply explored any one of these would have been much richer.
I find the lack of investigation into Neil's role in helping John William disappear and then his failure to report the death of his friend, especially as he is the sole heir to his friend's fortune, unbelievable.
Have you ever been in a room on a sunny day with blackout shades pulled down? You can't see out and no sunlight gets in. That's how I feel when I readHave you ever been in a room on a sunny day with blackout shades pulled down? You can't see out and no sunlight gets in. That's how I feel when I read Muriel Spark. I need someone to take me by the hand and explain almost every little thing to me because I just don't see/get it. After two of her works I am accepting that Spark and I are not a good fit, and will move on to other authors.
There are some aspects of this novella that I do enjoy. I like the descriptions of the neighborhood and of The May of Teck Club, the reminders about rationing, and the general introductions to the women who live in the Club. Spark masterfully shifts from the absurdity of Tilly's situation to the climactic event of the novel in the penultimate chapter.
I do not share Spark's sense of humor here. While I am amused in places, overall the attempts fall flat for me. (I am envious that in many places, Jennifer cracked up.) Most of all, I don't feel connected to any of these characters. I can see them, I feel they are developed, and there is something missing for me. Because of this feeling of disconnection, the climax doesn't land for me.
The positive aspect of concluding that Muriel Spark's writing is not a good fit for me is that there are several books that I will not feel compelled to add to my tbr. ...more
What does the third installment of Mick Herron's Slough House Series deliver? Great well paced writing; fully realized characters; intrigue; suspense;What does the third installment of Mick Herron's Slough House Series deliver? Great well paced writing; fully realized characters; intrigue; suspense; humor; and sharp, sly wit.
All the Slow Horse characters from Dead Lions return. Each has an opportunity to shine here, and Catherine gets a leading role. The overall plot involves a lot of adversarial scheming from Diana Taverner and Ingrid Tearney and the interference of the Home Secretary's own stratagems. Oh, and Roddy Ho is attempting to have a love life.
Underlying this thriller is the theme of addiction--gambling, drugs, adrenaline rush, power, and alcohol. Herron takes us into the mind of Catherine Standish as she is locked in a room with a bottle of wine. Interspersed throughout the tale of her colleagues' efforts to find and rescue her and all the political machinations throughout the Service, are Catherine's thoughts letting us in on her memories of her recovery and the message that the line between sobriety and not is very thin.
While the underlying theme is serious, the story careens along with Herron's signature plot twists, drollness, and brilliantly sketched characters (that I have become attached to).
I highly recommend joining the Slough House crew for this wild ride as the tale reveals who the real tigers are.
"You can't make this stuff up!" That's exactly how I feel reading Robert Harris' historical novel An Officer and a Spy.
Back in my student days The Dre"You can't make this stuff up!" That's exactly how I feel reading Robert Harris' historical novel An Officer and a Spy.
Back in my student days The Dreyfus Affair was a paragraph in a textbook. Robert Harris has done a copious amount of research to faithfully follow the facts and bring this story to life. The short version: This political crisis in France began in 1894 and continued through 1906 and centered on the conviction for treason of Jewish army Captain Alfred Dreyfus for allegedly selling military secrets to the Germans. It turns out that the highest ranking military and intelligence officers railroaded him and then covered up their machinations.
Despite knowing how the story ends, Harris has me on the edge of my seat once the initial exposition is handled. The pacing is perfect, and the story reads like a Dumas novel--full of mystery, intrigue, wrongful imprisonment, and heroic efforts to bring the truth to light.
Harris makes the brilliant choice to have the tale narrated by Georges Picquart, a General Staff officer in Paris during the first Dreyfus court-martial. Picquart is promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and appointed chief of the army's intelligence section where he begins to understand that Dreyfus may be innocent. Harris fully develops Picquart as a multi-dimensional human being. I see him wrestle with his conscience and with his love of the army and faith in it as an institution as he is warned off this investigation time and time again. I also see his love of family and the arts and his concern and compassion for others.
A through line can be drawn from the anti-Semitism demonstrated by the French people in 1894 around the initial conviction straight through to the Vichy government in WWII.
There are many parallels that can be drawn to this day and age, as well as throughout history--the consequences of an institution failing to admit an error and correct course, the inability to keep secrets, "alternative facts," the oppression and mistreatment of those who are different, the denigration of whistle blowers, and more.
Harris captures the attitudes of the French people and the look and feel of the times in his prose.
This novel has sent me searching for more. I can now tell you about the Franco Prussian War of 1870 and what was happening culturally and politically in France in the 1890's and early 1900's.
If you want to learn more about this historical event, love the juiciness of a scandalous trial, enjoy espionage and counterespionage tales, are enticed by complex thrillers, or want to believe that there are men of honor, treat yourself to reading An Officer and a Spy. This novel is historical fiction at its best!
Marie-Sabine Roger's novel Soft in the Head pays homage to friendship and books and the ability of both to change a life.
Germain is a functionally illMarie-Sabine Roger's novel Soft in the Head pays homage to friendship and books and the ability of both to change a life.
Germain is a functionally illiterate middle aged man, a bit of an odd duck who most likely has some kind of undiagnosed learning difference. The story is told from his point of view; the prose is clear and direct. Though the words are simple he gets right to the heart of things, sometimes humorously.
He meets an educated, elderly woman in the park and they strike up an unlikely friendship. Marguerite is the first person to listen to him politely and treat him with respect. Germain responds like a plant to sunlight. And then, gift of all gifts, she introduces him to great books.
"As soon as she started reading, I knew I was going to like it. I didn't really know what sort of book it was, a horror story or a thriller [Camus' The Plague], but it had grabbed me by the ears, the way you do with rabbits."
"To begin with I found Marguerite funny. And educational too, from the conversation point of view. Then little by little, I got attached to her without even realizing. Affection is something that grows on the quiet, it takes root without you knowing, then overruns the place worse than Japanese knotweed. By then it's too late: you can't dose your heart with Roundup to weed out feelings."
This is a story with heart and no mawkish or saccharine leanings. It was an enjoyable read after a heavy, enveloping one.
Note to Mark: Germain learns what a metaphor is and comes to be able to spot them. ...more
What Cannot Be Said is the 19th book in this series.
The History - It is July 1815. Napoleon has been d3.5 Stars Rounded up because I love this series.
What Cannot Be Said is the 19th book in this series.
The History - It is July 1815. Napoleon has been defeated at Waterloo. How will the British Crown choose to contain him? The abuse of the apprentice system, especially of children from orphanages and workhouses, is given scrutiny. As is the practice of farming babies out to women away from town who would deliberately starve or quietly kill them. The treatment of mental illness during this time period is also given a brief look.
The Mystery - A woman and her daughter are murdered while on a picnic in Richmond Park, their bodies posed in imitation of those found on medieval tombs. Once again, Lord Devlin is called in to assist in the investigation. As usual, there are a lot of twists and turns, two more bodies, and a few attacks on our hero before the culprit is identified.
The Characters - This installment covers more of Sir Henry Lovejoy's backstory, and I witness him grappling with his conscience about a past murder. There are also brief appearances by other regulars in the series.
Harris continues to highlight the social theme of class--of privilege and inequality.
Here ye, hear ye, hear ye! Amor Towles writes short stories that are perfection! Each story is compelling, has characters dropped in fully formed, hasHere ye, hear ye, hear ye! Amor Towles writes short stories that are perfection! Each story is compelling, has characters dropped in fully formed, has sublime prose, contains pitch perfect dialogue, is full of wit, elicits smiles and chuckles from this reader, and has an unexpected and absolutely perfect ending!
The Six Short Stories:
"The Line" is a seemingly simple parable of a couple who moves from the country to Moscow to New York City. It can be enjoyed at it's face value, an ambitious woman married to a simple, aimiable man who just happens to do the right thing at the right time. Or it can be viewed another way. The timeline is 1916 to 1929. Running parallel to Towels' story are the Russian Revolution (Pushkin and Irina move to the City), the Civil War and the famine of 1921 (the lack of food and medicines), the Kronshtadt Rebellion, Lenin's New Economic Policy (Pushkin and Petya's entrepreneurship), and the Great Breakup (Pushkin and Irina's leaving Russia and their personal breakup).
Told in Towles' unique style, he reminds us that we all have our roles to play, and they all have value. After all:
"The wisdom of the peasant is founded on one essential axiom: while wars may come and go, statesmen rise and fall, and popular attitudes wax and wane, when all is said and done a furrow remains a furrow."
"The Ballad of Timothy Touchett" is a delightful satire from beginning to end. A lot of the pleasure here comes from Towles' attention to detail. Poor Timothy aspires to be a great novelist, but "how could one expect to craft a novel of grace and significance" when nothing of any consequence has ever happened to one? Be careful, Timothy, of what you wish for.
"Hasta Luego" is a carefully crafted story told with wit and humor. Two men who meet standing in line about cancelled flights in LaGuardia Airport are exiled together to the Grand Hyatt Hotel when their rebooked flights don't take off until the following day. Jerry becomes enmeshed in Smitty's life. Towles reminds me of the importance of human connection and asks how much responsibility do we have for another human being?
"I Will Survive" is an artful impression of a marriage. What brings you joy? And what happens if your partner doesn't share your passion or you are reluctant to even share what that is?
A curse and a sublime classical music experience blend to make "The Bootlegger" an outstanding tale. Irony anyone?
"The DiDomenico Fragment" takes me inside the Skinner family, informs me about the Annunciation in European Renaissance art, generates laughs/snorts, provides a small dose of cynicism/snark, and leaves me perfectly satisfied.
The Novella:
Eve in Hollywood takes up half the real estate in the book. Part satire, part noir with a feminist twist, Towles' wit sparkles through his heroine Evelyn Ross. This novella picks up her story where Rules of Civility left off. There is also enough room here for some of Towles' philosophical musings on life and how to keep moving forward as well as thoughts on power and money.
Table for Two is a not to be missed collection whether you are a fan of Towles' novels, or not, for it is storytelling at its best.
I first encountered Mrs. Mike as a 16 year-old. I remember because the protagonist, Kathy, is 16 at the beginning which is one of the reasons the libI first encountered Mrs. Mike as a 16 year-old. I remember because the protagonist, Kathy, is 16 at the beginning which is one of the reasons the librarian recommended it to me. Also she was big on love stories for teens and I was not. Anyway, she sold me on this as an adventure story that was loosely based on the story of a real woman. I remember enjoying it at the time.
Fast forward 47 years and what do I see? The descriptions of the Northwest territory in Canada in the early 1900's are beautiful and establish the sense of place. The relationship/courtship between a 16 year-old girl and a 27 year-old man gives me pause; I know it is set in 1907, a different time and also that women are scarce, and still . . . The Freedmans show the harshness of life, the lack of medical supplies and doctors, and the beauty of community as most people are hospitable and help their neighbors. I see the sorrow of the mothers over their sequential families as so many children die.
The story is told through Kathy's eyes and centers on her, so there isn't a lot of development of the other characters.
The story is dated in the blithe treatment of the native populations, the population of mixed parentage individuals, and the Mission that houses 80 Cree children. Only the sorrow of a failed attempt to take back some autonomy is briefly mentioned.
These adjectives describe the exquisite fabric and this novella. The deceptively simple taleSilk - smooth, supple, lustrous, soft, delicate yet strong
These adjectives describe the exquisite fabric and this novella. The deceptively simple tale begs to be read slowly and with care or its meaning will slip through your hands. It is a tale of erotic obsession and deep and abiding love.
Set in 1861, the history is barely sketched in as a framework for this tale. The sections that repeat give a rhythm to this framework and add to the drama of the story. The prose is spare and pared down to the essential, like reading haiku. The prose changes in the letter of chapter 59; while still poetic, the writing is more fleshed out and evocative here.
There are no interior monologues, no author-given window into the characters. Anything the reader deduces will have to be teased out of the broad watercolor strokes with which this story is painted.
And what do Hervé Joncour and I come to realize by the end? Ah, you will have to read Silk if you wish to know.
Thank you again dear Jennifer for gifting loved books to me.
The Mysteries is an intriguing collaboration between Bill Watterson of "Calvin and Hobbes" fame and the artist John Kascht best known for his caricat The Mysteries is an intriguing collaboration between Bill Watterson of "Calvin and Hobbes" fame and the artist John Kascht best known for his caricatures.
The book blurb calls this one a fable for grown-ups. The text is spare and superbly complemented by the artwork. There is so much to see and infer from each page. I have literally spent hours pouring over this book. There is so much room for me to look and wonder and to fill in with my own thoughts and feelings. This is a work about the questions, not the answers.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) every 68 seconds another American is sexually assaulted, 1 out of every 6 American womeAccording to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) every 68 seconds another American is sexually assaulted, 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime, and 3 out of 4 sexual assaults go unreported. I live in a "safe," upper middle class area; 50% of my women friends have been sexually molested, all unreported.
In 2015 Chanel Miller was sexually assaulted on Stanford's campus. Two young men intervened and the three year long process of setting up the prosecution and then the trial began.
Brock Turner's sentence for 3 felony accounts related to sexual assault, six months in county jail (only three served), was very light, especially considering:
"County jail is usually for misdemeanors; you can get six months for digging a bonfire pit at the beach, flying a drone, tampering with a fire extinguisher, trespassing on a construction site."
This memoir is Miller's act of reclaiming her identity. She compels me to see and hear the details of the sexual violence perpetrated on her person. We, the public, are usually shielded from the specifics; here Chanel Miller states them boldly, asking me to confront them alongside her. I also see the daily trauma she faces through her memories, and lack thereof, and the legal process itself.
"Do you understand , when you ask a victim to report, what you're telling her to walk into? 'Why didn't she go to the police?' I had deputies, a detective, paramedics, I had squad cars, and ambulance. I had them handcuffing him, photographing me, recording witness accounts, jotting down every detail of my body from the thin chain wrapped around my neck to the laces of my shoes, my clothes collected, his clothes collected. I pressed charges withing twenty-four hours of the assault and here I was three years later reading the appellate attorney's statements about how I was 'clearly in front of the dumpster,' not in any way 'behind it.' How it was 'merely exterior massaging' of my 'genital opening,' how we were 'enamored young people expressing their sexual urges.' When you say 'go to the police' what do you envision? I was grateful for my team. But the police will move on to other cases while the victim is left in the agonizing, protracted judicial process, where she will be made to question, and then forget, who she is. You were just physically attacked? Here's some information on how you can enter a multiyear process of verbal abuse. Often it seems easier to suffer rape alone, than face the dismembering that comes with seeking support."
As I read I cycle through feelings of rage, grief, anger, sadness, and hope.
". . . that life is large and messy, that nothing is black and white, there is no such thing as a linear trajectory, and at the end of the day it is a miracle just to wake up in the morning" is a truth Miller learned from her mother and which has been reaffirmed for her over this time period.
Miller's story is an important one, made powerful through the details. IMO this book should be required reading for every incoming college freshman and their parents.
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