A book that will be most appreciated by loved ones affected by this tragedy and those open to a similar response to grief.
In this brief memoir, Pittsford recounts the trials of dealing with her son’s premature death and addressing her own trust in God.
On Sept. 1, 2010, in San Francisco, Pittsford’s 28-year-old son, Tim, witnessed a hit-and-run accident in which a pedestrian was killed. He followed the driver in an attempt to get some information for police. A few days later, Tim mysteriously passed away in his sleep, leaving only a couple drops of blood on his pillow as a clue. The first half of the book details the Pittsfords’ receiving news of their son’s passing, the planning and preparation of memorial services, and the challenge of a mother having to let go of her son, all with a strongly Christian tone. Through a series of seemingly miraculous occurrences, the daughter of the hit-and-run victim comes to learn of Tim’s identity as the witness and his subsequent death, and she reaches out to Pittsford so the two can console each other in their grief. The second half of the book deals with the aftermath: the family’s trying to find a new normal, Pittsford’s daughter’s questioning her faith and recommending that the entire family go for counseling, and the final coroner’s report on Tim’s death. Pittsford’s writing is conversational and easily digested, but various spelling and grammatical errors distract from her narrative; for example, misspelling the Italian word “paesanos” as “pizanos” and using the word “perspective” instead of “respective.” Pittsford comes across as the ideal Christian woman, never questioning God’s will but choosing to follow His plan, regardless of her grief and uncertainty. Some readers may be inspired by her religious strength, while others may find it difficult to relate to this particular grieving method.
A book that will be most appreciated by loved ones affected by this tragedy and those open to a similar response to grief.Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5127-0572-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
An erudite and artful, though frustratingly restrained, look at Old Testament stories.
The Book of Genesis as imagined by a veteran voice of underground comics.
R. Crumb’s pass at the opening chapters of the Bible isn’t nearly the act of heresy the comic artist’s reputation might suggest. In fact, the creator of Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural is fastidiously respectful. Crumb took pains to preserve every word of Genesis—drawing from numerous source texts, but mainly Robert Alter’s translation, The Five Books of Moses (2004)—and he clearly did his homework on the clothing, shelter and landscapes that surrounded Noah, Abraham and Isaac. This dedication to faithful representation makes the book, as Crumb writes in his introduction, a “straight illustration job, with no intention to ridicule or make visual jokes.” But his efforts are in their own way irreverent, and Crumb feels no particular need to deify even the most divine characters. God Himself is not much taller than Adam and Eve, and instead of omnisciently imparting orders and judgment He stands beside them in Eden, speaking to them directly. Jacob wrestles not with an angel, as is so often depicted in paintings, but with a man who looks not much different from himself. The women are uniformly Crumbian, voluptuous Earth goddesses who are both sexualized and strong-willed. (The endnotes offer a close study of the kinds of power women wielded in Genesis.) The downside of fitting all the text in is that many pages are packed tight with small panels, and too rarely—as with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah—does Crumb expand his lens and treat signature events dramatically. Even the Flood is fairly restrained, though the exodus of the animals from the Ark is beautifully detailed. The author’s respect for Genesis is admirable, but it may leave readers wishing he had taken a few more chances with his interpretation, as when he draws the serpent in the Garden of Eden as a provocative half-man/half-lizard. On the whole, though, the book is largely a tribute to Crumb’s immense talents as a draftsman and stubborn adherence to the script.
An erudite and artful, though frustratingly restrained, look at Old Testament stories.Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-393-06102-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2009
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