bookshelf

WALKING IN THE DEEP END

Name: WALKING IN THE DEEP END
Author: Susan Parker
ISBN: 978-1-893067-10-7

by Susan Parker ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

Genuinely uplifting and inspiring.

bookshelf

An honest, heartbreaking memoir that chronicles a pattern of tragedy and confusion.

The book begins with Parker’s recollections of father’s mental breakdown and suicide attempts, which she witnessed at the age of 11. Soon afterward, the author discovered a family history filled with dark secrets, including an uncle kept secret from the family and an aunt who was brutally raped and eventually committed suicide out of despair. As her world became increasingly complex and difficult, Parker did her best to maintain a sense of well-being, despite observing tragedies with which she was too young to comprehend. The author and her family turned to their Christian faith to guide them through the many rough patches they endured. However, they found others’ interpretations of their faith to be ill-matched with their own, and their churches and denominations were in constant flux as they searched for a fitting interpretation. Parker spent her college years using binge-eating as an emotional crutch and developed a serious case of bulimia, with which she struggled for years. The memoir’s last third is by far the most truthful and endearing segment, as readers meet the now-41-year-old mother Parker, in the process of a messy divorce triggered by the discovery that she is gay. Even in the face of endless challenges, the author remains optimistic, looking toward her spirituality to guide her through dark times. She shows a gift for storytelling, and as a result, the book is compelling and enthralling. Parker examines her psyche–and the mistakes and tragedies that mar her life–with endearing bravery. Through her honesty, Parker makes a successful argument both for faith and spirituality while somehow avoiding the pitfalls of sappiness and overt sentimentality. This is thanks in part to her sharing her beliefs, rather than preaching them.

Genuinely uplifting and inspiring.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 978-1-893067-10-7

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

bookshelf

NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

bookshelf

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

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

bookshelf

TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

bookshelf

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.