A moving account that should help families affected by cancer cope with despair.
A grief-stricken husband attempts to come to terms with the death of his wife in this debut memoir.
Michael Murphy enjoyed an idyllic life in a mansion with his wife and four kids. Then one day, a stunning married woman named Margot walked into the car dealership where he worked and his life changed. Margot would teach Murphy “what it meant to love more deeply than I ever knew was possible.” Though he was married at the time, he couldn’t help but be drawn to Margot. The two decided to separate from their spouses to be together. They eventually wed, but tragedy struck when Margot was diagnosed with cancer. Murphy navigated hospitals and chemotherapy while trying to enjoy the time he had left with his wife. He believed in spiritual healing, and often imagined “neutralizing [cancer cells] with unconditional love.” He was determined to try anything that would ensure his wife’s continued survival. Throughout the book, he maintains that “love is the most powerful force in the Universe.” This sweet proclamation is far from sappy knowing the challenging situation that Murphy and his family found themselves in. In fact, reading about his ability to support his wife and stay positive for the family is incredibly affecting. Margot herself is a fully realized character in the narrative. Murphy recalls texts she wrote assuring her family that she was “not scared” and that “suffering at times brings you closer to God.” This work will probably help readers who have lost spouses deal with feelings of sorrow and helplessness, as well as those who have suffered from cancer or know someone who has. But it is also a well-written, touching tale of a family’s struggle to grapple with tragic circumstances. Ultimately, this is an uplifting read that includes well-developed characters and a carefully constructed narrative that manages to snag readers not just with the details of Margot’s battle with cancer, but with the story of how she and Murphy fell in love.
A moving account that should help families affected by cancer cope with despair.Pub Date: May 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5121-5856-4
Page Count: 214
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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
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