If I was going to recommend one book this year, Kelly Corrigan's memoir would be IT. It has been a long time since I have so completely fallen in love with not only the people in a story, but the way the story was written.Kelly Corrigan is a breast cancer survivor and "The Middle Place" is her collection of memories from that battle, as well as from her childhood, adult years, and motherhood. I was completely hooked by the end of the first page and couldn't put it down until I finished - a very short time later.
Corrigan presents her story in such a real way. And it was so easy to become attached to each "character" and to laugh and cry along with them as they went through good times and bad. I was in tears through the story of her husband's proposal, couldn't stop laughing at her father's antics, and truly felt like I knew those people as if they were my own friends and family. I know I read this in March and that there is a lot more 2009 to come, but I really think that this will be my book of the year. If I could be as brilliant a storyteller as Kelly Corrigan... well then my work would be cut out for me, wouldn't it?
Word of warning to the rest of you: There is quite a lot of strong language in this book. I recommended it to my mother and she said, "I wish she didn't use the F word so much!" but I think next time I read it I'll go through with a black marker. And I really wouldn't let that drawback stop me from experiencing this wonderful story.
3 comments:
yay! we have some of the same favorite reads. i haven't read this book however. mom told me not to. although, apparently, she likes it...
i like this blog. and yes, that could be your house. (the main photo).
Now that I think about it, "The Middle Place" is a great book and its language shouldn't keep you from reading it. I think my comment, "I wished I'd crossed out all the swear words as I went" was taken as a "Don't read it." I loved that book.
So, advice to readers, pick up a pen and when you get to one of her tantrums, which she definitely deserved to have, cross out the offending word and then you can share it with others, without regrets.
Love, Mom/Kathy
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