Good Books Lately: Thanks for the memoirs
“Memoir is a window into a life.” −William Zinsser
I look forward to slipping away to a quiet spot with a new memoir tucked under my arm. I settle in and escape to another life for a while, getting acquainted with someone living a life very different life from my own.
When we dive into a memoir we swim alongside the author as they recount episodes from the river of their life. We share their journey as they float peacefully on smooth water or struggle to stay afloat, fighting powerful waves that threaten to pull them under.
A well-crafted memoir engages us, widens our world, and fosters empathy. We’re whisked away and plunged into adventures that we will never come close to experiencing in our own lives.
In the hands of a gifted writer the author’s voice is clear and their story is compelling.
We enter their world and begin to understand how they feel because we are right there with them at the most pivotal moments of their lives. We begin to see how their experiences and perceptions have impacted their outlook and influenced their choices.
I’m recommending four outstanding memoirs. They contrast in time, place and experiences.
From light to dark, here they are:
I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
Nora is that friend who makes you laugh out loud as she relates the ups and downs of her life.
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Growing up, Jahren loved to spend evenings working alongside her dad in his science laboratory. She lovingly recounts those memories and reflects on the very different personalities of her parents and how they influenced her choices as an adult.
A Book Shop in Berlin by Francis Frenkel
In 1921, Frenkel fulfills a dream when she opens a bookshop. But Kristallnacht violently shatters that dream. She flees to southern France and hides away in order to survive.
After the Eclipse by Sarah Perry
When Sarah was twelve she witnessed the brutal murder of her mother. She could not see the face of the attacker. The incident is graphically described. Many years later Sarah reflects on her life in the aftermath of this tragedy and determines to discover the identity of the killer.
Connie Lavoie is the owner of The Book Loft inside the Vintage Loft in Dewey.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Good Books Lately: Thanks for the memoirs
