2011: Book 38

Torch by Cheryl Strayed

336 pages

Completed 4/23/11

The tale of a family left in the wake of their young mother's sudden death, Strayed manages to turn a work of fiction into a story that could easily have been ripped from middle America. From a step-father's disloyalty, to run-ins with the law, affairs, and crippling depression, the family left behind struggles mostly on their own; you have to wonder what they could have accomplished had they come together.

Rarely moved to tears, I found myself heartbroken for every member of the family. Rather than close it out with an atypical-to-the-family happy ending, the disjointedness revolving around the siblings at the end was so well-thought and ended the story in a great way.

2011: Book 6

Slackjaw: A Memoir by Jim Knipfel


256 pages

Completed 1/31/2011

This memoir about Knipfel's descent into depression and blindness, intermittently disrupted by his punk lifestyle and attitude, was well-written, and a quick read, but not a book I'd recommend. Although the lack of self-pity was commendable, I didn't feel like I gained anything from this read.

A few years ago, I read Cockeyed by Ryan Knighton, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Entertaining, and chock full of dry humor, I thought it'd be interesting to pick up Slackjaw; it seemed so similar, and I figured I'd enjoy it. I don't know if it was the fact that if I knew Knipfel in real life, he would annoy me, or if his attitude was just too abrasive for my liking,  but I just wasn't as drawn to this memoir as I was Knighton's.

2011: Book 4

Ambulance Girl: How I Saved Myself By Becoming an EMT by Jane Stern


240 pages

Completed 1/24/2011

I don't know whether it was the book or whether I was starved for a book, but I sped through this memoir. The tale of a depressed, middle-aged woman who, despite her claustrophobia, fear of illness, and overall disgust with bodily functions, decides to become an EMT to get her out of her slump. Faced with the aforementioned issues, as well as being a rare woman in the field, as well as heavy, Stern takes us through her triumphs - and defeats with poignancy.

I was pretty interested throughout this book - short snippets of odd cases, brief moments of humor - but when she took a turn into depression, the book lost my interest. Although an important part of the story, I was kind of annoyed by how sorry she felt for herself; same goes for her relationship with her shrink. Once the book began delving into her marriage problems, I was lost completely. Luckily it didn't last long, and the memoir finished well.

LIZ: BOOK #10

Swing Low by Miriam Toews

208 pages

Completed 2/18/10

This book's writing style convinced me to pick it up; Toews wrote this book as if she were her father. An interesting concept, but one that failed to impress me. Her bipolar teacher father, who committed suicide later in life, left his family, and especially the author herself, with unanswered questions. A cathartic way of coming to terms with who her father was, I'm sure, but it never reeled me in enough to be moved by this book.

Coining this book as a memoir is deceiving, I think. Although told from the perspective of the main character, there's no way Toews could have truly entered her father's world and his lifelong struggle within it. I think that my own wariness for such an iffy way of presenting the story never allowed me to fully believe it. I can see, however, how this book could be a great resource for family members who have lost a loved one to mental illness - either living or dead.

An extremely talented writer, Toews did manage to churn out a very well-written book with "Swing Low". From early adulthood up until the day of what would end up being his last, Toews does cover her father's life in depth. I guess it just wasn't personal enough for me to enjoy it.