Today I am adding five more memoirs to my list of reviews. I will give a thumbnail description of the memoir here with a link to my book review blog at the list of reviews mentioned here.
These memoirs were incredible reads, and I hope, if you read them, you find them as enjoyable and helpful as I did.
THE SACRED DISEASE: MY LIFE WITH EPILEPSY BY KRISTIN SEABORG, MD
As I read Kristin Seaborg’s memoir, The Sacred Disease: My Life with Epilepsy, my emotions ran the gamut from fear to frustration to happiness as Kristin lived with this determined disease. Her story rings with the same range of emotions, and yet she never gave up hope on the life she dreamed for herself.
Kristin’s epilepsy began at a very young age (16 months) during a bout of influenza accompanied by high fever. Leaving the hospital a physician commented the seizure that brought her to the emergency room might “not be the end of Kristin’s seizures.” Unfortunately, his prediction was correct. Read the rest here…
THE WOMAN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH BY MANI FENIGER
If you choose to read The Woman in the Photograph by Mani Feniger, be certain a box of tissues sits close by as they’ll be needed. My tears came for mixed reasons–sadness and joy–as Feniger searches for a story that will explain the silences in her childhood and young adulthood as well as a story capable of healing deep wounds and scars.
It did not matter that the Holocaust impacted the lives of six million Jews, an underlying theme in Feniger’s book, for even those able to escape like the author’s parents and an aunt and uncle were stripped of their personal property and saddest of all their identities. As a result, their children received the ironic gift of fear and often denial. Years of research, digging through photos, and much more would be needed to establish a sense of trust in others. Read more here…
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL: HOW A LOST GIRL BECAME A TRUE, CONFIDENT CHILD OF GOD BY SARAH M. JOHNSON
I remember all of the emotions, the trees whipping by, everything happening so fast, dad yelling, Here we go, and mom screaming, Stop it. I remember my brother Zachary looking back at me, his eyes bright with fear as I prayed God please…
And so begins Sarah M. Johnson’s recollection of the day her life changed forever. She had already been through troubles in her own life, with her dad’s drug abuse and alcoholism, and her dad’s redemption. Find more about Sarah’s story here…
UNDER MAGNOLIA: A SOUTHERN MEMOIR BY FRANCES MAYES
The chance to read another Frances Mayes work, especially her memoir, Under Magnolia: A Southern Memoir, was the equal to putting a good latte and dark chocolate in front of me. No way was I going to pass it up. Enjoyment was found in other of her books, such as Under the Tuscan Sun. And the title had the word “southern” in it.
Although somewhat frenetic in plot and pacing, Under Magnolia transported me back to days growing up in the South and spending summer afternoons under the shade of trees, some magnolia, trying to stay cool. Mayes clarifies her frenetic style by explaining memories jump back and forth and thus, our writing of memoir often jumps back and forth. Find more about Under Magnolia here…
FLEEING THE HIJAB: A JEWISH WOMAN’S ESCAPE FROM IRAN BY SIMA GOEL
Fleeing the Hijab by Sima Goel is at once a memoir and a history book. While sharing her personal story, Goel details the historical events taking place in her homeland, Iran, during the reign of Ayatollah Khomeini. Interwoven through her life story and her country’s history are Goel’s love of family and the beautiful childhood she experienced before her childhood was cut short.
Although written almost three decades after her flight from Iran, Goel’s memory recall is detailed and specific. As life changes around her, I can sense her fear, anger, and determination rising like steam from a boiling pot. Her desire is not only escape for herself but also for her family and the people of Iran. In so doing, Goel took great risks but could not deny the liberation she wanted for all Iranians. Read more of this amazing story…
The five memoirs shared here were written by strong women, women willing to take risks and show their courage. Coming soon among reviews on Puddletown Reviews, I will have some memoirs written by men, which I’ll share with you.
Have you read any memoirs lately? Any that strike you as amazing stories, or well-written, or developed in a unique way? Why not share them in the comment section below?
