Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.
Nonfiction - Memoir
2000 Atria Books
Finished on March 27, 2001
Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
The house on Mary Street was home to Jennifer; her older brother B.J.; their hardworking father, who smelled like aftershave and read her Snow White; and their mother, who called her little daughter Sunshine and embraced Jackie Kennedy's sense of style. Through a child's eyes, the skies of Carson City were forever blue, and life was perfect -- a world of Barbies, Bewitched, and the Beatles. Even her mother's pain from her mysterious illness could be patted away with hairspray, powder, and a kiss on the cheek....But soon, everything Jennifer has come to love and rely on begins to crumble, sending her on a roller coaster of loss and loneliness. In a world unhinged by tragedy, where beautiful mothers die and families are warped by more than they can bear, a young girl must transcend a landscape of pain and mistreatment to discover her richest resource: her own unshakable will to survive.
My Original Thoughts (2001):
How can a book that is so sad and depressing be so good? Much like Frank McCourt (author of Angela's Ashes), Jennifer Lauck endured a terribly harsh childhood. However, unlike McCourt's memoir, Blackbird lacks any humor to lighten the reading experience. And yet, I was completely blown away by this book, reading it in two days. The memoir reads like a novel, filled with heartbreaking anecdotes. The cruelty and suffering that Jenny and her brother experienced tore me apart. This is the first in a trilogy and I plan to read the next installment. Highly recommend.
My Current Thoughts:
I don't remember any specifics about this book, but I remember how much it affected me.
I hope you enjoy it, Vicki! I see the author is the reader for the audiobook. I'll be interested to hear how you like it in that format.
ReplyDeleteReading about an author's life when it is harsh can be such an intense experience even if we don't remember the details. That's how I feel about Angela's Ashes.
ReplyDeleteHelen, Angela's Ashes was such a good book!
DeleteBooks like this make me thankful for my blessings. I liked Angela's Ashes and keep meaning to read the sequel, 'Tis, but haven't quite brought myself to do it yet. I have to steel myself a bit.
ReplyDeleteJen, I agree. I am very grateful for when and where I was raised. I enjoyed Angela's Ashes, but didn't care as much for the sequel. It was pretty disappointing compared to McCourt's first memoir.
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