An illuminating collection of writing that’s full of introspection and emotional transcendence.
Friedlander’s memoir recounts vignettes about the author’s life after a bilateral mastectomy.
Three months after her sister lost a two-year battle with breast cancer, Friedlander (Speak Easy: The Communication Guide for Career and Life Success, 2009) received a diagnosis of stage 0 breast cancer. Although the condition was noncancerous, she made the decision to remove both breasts. Written in a clear, determined voice, each piece stands alone, though there’s a sense of continuity as well as some repetition. Ranging from poetic prose to reflective musings, the writing is open and honest. Though Friedlander acknowledges that her decision to remove both breasts was extreme, she also notes that just having witnessed her sister’s intense suffering from the disease influenced her decision, further asserting that different circumstances might have led to a different decision. While this book isn’t directed at those with advanced breast cancer, Friedlander’s experiences may help other women dealing with a similar precancerous condition by providing them with a better understanding of the consequences of taking aggressive action. Having removed what is considered the embodiment of womanhood and sexuality, Friedlander writes, “When you lose the most prominent physical symbol of your gender, you must claim your female identity without that symbol.” She candidly reveals her life as a divorced woman in her late 40s, experiencing intimacy after her surgery and all the bouts of self-consciousness and inadequacy that came with it. Despite a period of testing the water for the first few years, Friedlander eventually jumped in with both feet to experience all life had to offer and to make the most of the hand she was dealt. All of her heartbreak, tears and success led her to one conclusion: “Well-being always comes from within.”
An illuminating collection of writing that’s full of introspection and emotional transcendence.Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-0989953627
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Word Craft Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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