Woah....Ok so the last memoir I read was a graphic novel and I really missed some of the more detailed imagery that a well written "book" provides. Not that graphic novels don't take the writing seriously (See Maus), but the images are provided for you and that leaves a little less to the imagination. I can conjure up some incredible images in my own mind from a really well written novel or, in this case, memoir. Her does not disappoint.
I stumbled upon this story while listening to the radio on a drive to Pennsylvania and immediately grabbed a copy when I returned. The interview was with the author Christa Parravani, a Guilderland High alum if I'm correct, and it was heart wrenching. The book evokes every emotion imaginable. It tells a tragic story of identical twins who, despite obstacles and borderline poverty growing up, emerge as budding writers and artists until the unthinkable happens. Cara, Christa's twin is raped. As you can understand, there isn't a ton of good things that follow. Cara cannot come back from this traumatic event and ultimately turns to drugs. When Cara dies, Christa is sitting in traffic in NYC and learns from their estranged mother over the phone. Despite the fact that since the rape they've grown apart, Parravani paints the picture that twins, no matter how distant, are never really that far apart.
Christa becomes increasingly depressed. She starves herself and becomes addicted to pills. She writes that she's nearly schizophrenic, seeing her sister when she looks in the mirror instead of herself. Before pushing herself to the brink (through a divorce as well), Christa re-emerges as a confident writer and pushes herself through words to tell this powerful story. I love memoirs, especially about people...real people and I am a sucker for tragedy. I'm not sure what that says about me as a person, but books like this make me think I'm onto something nonetheless. Read this book.
No comments:
Post a Comment