I pulled out three from my memoir pile to introduce you to more specifically. These three took me completely out of my own world and introduced me to three very new worlds.
The Spiral Staircase by Karen Armstrong is the story of a Catholic nun who left to be a historical and theological scholar in the 1960s when the Catholic church was undergoing some intense changes. A fascinating glimpse into the very cloaked life of the convent and how Armstrong created a life separate from it.
Lifesaving by Judith Barrington is the story of the author’s search for family and herself after the death of her parents on a cruise ship off the coast of Greece. The most shocking piece of this book is the author as a child with her parents on a boat off the coast of England. I won’t say anymore, but wow! This short, concise memoir is so beautifully written, I have hauled it around with me for days. Written by a master of memoir.
Dakota by Kathleen Norris is this week’s read and so good! The author moved back to her grandparent’s Dakota farm and talks about finding her humanness in the bleak and lonely small country towns that are the Dakotas. Just a gorgeous piece of writing and I am loving it!
If you’re interested in reading a pile of memoirs (at least 10 is my recommendation), click on one or two of these links and see what else comes up from Amazon as another option for purchase. That’s how I find a lot of books (also ask reading friends or writing friends for recs on what is good to read). You won’t regret it. What a journey! I’m a changed person for sure.
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