An articulate, poignant, and gritty family account, but one in need of a short follow-up.
In this memoir, a woman recounts the emotional and physical struggles to save her micropreemie baby.
Harris’ baby was due in January 2011. But in September 2010, the author went into labor and was rushed to the hospital. The tiny fetus was still four days short of the 24-week mark, the accepted standard for potential viability. But the gestational sac had begun to emerge from her uterus. Harris was placed in the “Trendelenburg” position, with the head of her bed tilted downward at a 30-degree angle, a spot she remained in for six days. The night of the sixth day, she was pumped full of drugs to slow the labor. In the morning, she was examined by the on-call perinatologist, who declared: “I believe this is a doomed pregnancy, and you should stop treatment and let it go.” But Harris had already suffered two miscarriages in her attempt to have a second child, including the heartbreaking loss of twins during the 14th week of her pregnancy. She was not about to give up without a fight. Samuel William was born five days later—having made it several days across the 24-week divide. He was 12 inches long and weighed 1 pound, 12 ounces. Having survived birth, he would now face 95 roller-coaster days in the newborn intensive care unit, including surgeries on his heart and retinas, before he could go home. Harris relates to readers her entire experience of Sam’s birth and the following months, up until his first birthday, through meticulous descriptions, revealing some of the most intimate details of her own recovery and the precious moments she shared with the tiny infant. Some readers may find themselves squirming during the more graphic passages. Still, the painstaking, moving memoir is packed with valuable information and intriguing factoids about the unique micropreemie world. In her acknowledgement section, Harris thanks her first child, Irene: “I know you have had to deal with more than most kids ever have to deal with.” Unfortunately, despite earlier extensive personal disclosures, there is no afterword, leaving engaged readers pondering the subsequent consequences of Sam’s four-month-early birth.
An articulate, poignant, and gritty family account, but one in need of a short follow-up.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64742-213-4
Page Count: 256
Publisher: She Writes Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This autobiography might almost be said to supply the roots to Wright's famous novel, Native Son.
It is a grim record, disturbing, the story of how — in one boy's life — the seeds of hate and distrust and race riots were planted. Wright was born to poverty and hardship in the deep south; his father deserted his mother, and circumstances and illness drove the little family from place to place, from degradation to degradation. And always, there was the thread of fear and hate and suspicion and discrimination — of white set against black — of black set against Jew — of intolerance. Driven to deceit, to dishonesty, ambition thwarted, motives impugned, Wright struggled against the tide, put by a tiny sum to move on, finally got to Chicago, and there — still against odds — pulled himself up, acquired some education through reading, allied himself with the Communists — only to be thrust out for non-conformity — and wrote continually. The whole tragedy of a race seems dramatized in this record; it is virtually unrelieved by any vestige of human tenderness, or humor; there are no bright spots. And yet it rings true. It is an unfinished story of a problem that has still to be met.
Perhaps this will force home unpalatable facts of a submerged minority, a problem far from being faced.
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1945
ISBN: 0061130249
Page Count: 450
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1945
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sharp, entertaining view of the news media from one of its star players.
The veteran newscaster reflects on her triumphs and hardships, both professional and private.
In this eagerly anticipated memoir, Couric (b. 1957) transforms the events of her long, illustrious career into an immensely readable story—a legacy-preserving exercise, for sure, yet judiciously polished and insightful, several notches above the fray of typical celebrity memoirs. The narrative unfolds through a series of lean chapters as she recounts the many career ascendency steps that led to her massively successful run on the Today Show and comparably disappointing stints as CBS Evening News anchor, talk show host, and Yahoo’s Global News Anchor. On the personal front, the author is candid in her recollections about her midlife adventures in the dating scene and deeply sorrowful and affecting regarding the experience of losing her husband to colon cancer as well as the deaths of other beloved family members, including her sister and parents. Throughout, Couric maintains a sharp yet cool-headed perspective on the broadcast news industry and its many outsized personalities and even how her celebrated role has diminished in recent years. “It’s AN ADJUSTMENT when the white-hot spotlight moves on,” she writes. “The ego gratification of being the It girl is intoxicating (toxic being the root of the word). When that starts to fade, it takes some getting used to—at least it did for me.” Readers who can recall when network news coverage and morning shows were not only relevant, but powerfully influential forces will be particularly drawn to Couric’s insights as she tracks how the media has evolved over recent decades and reflects on the negative effects of the increasing shift away from reliable sources of informed news coverage. The author also discusses recent important cultural and social revolutions, casting light on issues of race and sexual orientation, sexism, and the predatory behavior that led to the #MeToo movement. In that vein, she expresses her disillusionment with former co-host and friend Matt Lauer.
A sharp, entertaining view of the news media from one of its star players.Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-53586-1
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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