More or Less Maddy
by Lisa Genova
Being a student at NYU, Maddy is overwhelmed with all of the demands of college and the unfortunate ending of her relationship with her boyfriend. When she starts taking anti-depressants to alleviate her depression, she begins to experience bouts of severe mania, goes on extravagant shopping binges and racking up credit card bills, drinking too much and thinking she is invincible. But then she experiences the inevitable crashes!
A compassionate novel about being bipolar (a mental health illness), this illuminating book discusses the challenges of managing and living with it. Genova writes with sensitivity as always, about both Maddy’s struggles and strengths, and the people who learn to support and understand those struggles. All of Genova’s singular novels examine diverse health issues with humanity and exceptional insight. Another outstanding novel by Genova, this is not a depressing read. On the contrary, it’s encouraging, sincere, and often funny. I was completely invested in reading it.
Lisa Genova graduated as valedictorian, summa cum laude from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology. She has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. Books she’s authored include Still Alice and Every Note Played.
What Does It Feel Like?
by Sophie Kinsella
“What Does It Feel Like? is fiction, but it is my most autobiographical work to date. Eve’s story is my story.”—Sophie Kinsella
Kinsella is the successful author of the very popular Shopaholic book series. Her new book, consisting of a mere 219 pages on LIBBY, is very different from her usual novels, although it’s still humorous and filled with lots of heart. When I selected it to read, I knew nothing about it, which is often the best way to read some books. I may not have chosen it had I been aware of what it was about. As it turned out, I absolutely loved it.
As the story opens, Eve, the protagonist, is experiencing writer’s block and is bored with the usual novels she writes. However, after some soul searching, she experiences an epiphany: “Write the book you would like to read yourself. Write about the truth of life, whatever genre you’re in.” The new novel eventually becomes a film and Eve is overwhelmed with all the glamorous publicity and excitement surrounding it. She can hardly believe this is actually happening to her. “It feels surreal, the whole thing is just amazing and surreal.” Her family is driven to a red-carpet event in a luxurious limousine, and she looks fabulous wearing a gorgeous, “magical, silvery goddess of a dress made of taupe silk and silver sequins…An Oscar winning dress.” And then there are the diamond earrings and bracelet she’s wearing loaned to her for the event by Boodles, a British luxury brand jewelry store!
Blessed with a devoted husband, Nick, and their five children she can’t believe her luck. She says, “I’ve been so incredibly fortunate; it almost seems like too much luck for one person…Now I’m just waiting for my luck to run out!”
Later, waking up in the hospital, she can’t recall why she is there. Nick tells her she underwent brain surgery for a malignant tumor and is diagnosed with an incurable, rare cancer, Stage 4 glioblastoma.The rest of the story describes how Eve courageously struggles to regain mobility, speech, and memory, as she fights for survival.
Among the many reasons I admire this bittersweet book is how Eve maintains a positive outlook and demonstrates enormous strength, despite her life altering circumstances. Throughout her devastating ordeal she keeps her eye on what really matters in life, namely the simple joys in daily life such as playing Scrabble with her children and beloved, supportive husband. Heartbreaking and poignant at times, and so inspiring, you will cheer her on throughout the book. I am so glad I read this extraordinary novel.
Note: In the autumn of 2022, Kinsella was diagnosed with a Stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. The average survival time post-diagnosis is 12-18 months. She underwent an eight-hour surgery to remove the mass followed by radiation and chemotherapy, and currently is in remission. Her journey continues…
No Ordinary Assignment: A Memoir
by Jane Ferguson
The Irish Republican Army of Northern Ireland (IRA) fought British rule for over 400 years. The Protestant community largely identified with British identity, while the Catholic community sought Irish nationalism. Ferguson’s family, British Protestants, lived on a pig and sheep farm close to the IRA stronghold in the town of Armagh, a heavily militarized zone. Violence, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), gunfire, check points, and diverse terrorist attacks were common occurrences, along with the retaliation of the Protestant Irish inhabitants. Her parents refused to discuss the war with their family and referred to it as the “Troubles.” Armagh was informally segregated, with the Catholics in one neighborhood and the Protestants in another.
Probably traumatized by the violence in their life, Ferguson’s mother was angry, depressed, and verbally abusive. Eventually Ferguson, an outstanding student, received a full scholarship to an elite boarding school in New Jersey in the U.S. Other scholarship students attended but, “many more came from enormous wealth and privilege, often some of the richest families in the country and wider world.” It was a new world to Ferguson, and she tried to adapt. Meanwhile, after leaving the U.S., she worked at a chicken factory to save money for college in England. Afterwards, she went to Yemen to learn Arabic. And from there, she eventually was hired in Dubai as a journalist and her journey as a journalist/foreign correspondent began.
The intrepid Ferguson achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a journalist and making a difference. Her riveting chronicle continues with her wartime experiences. A courageous and candid account, it gave me greater understanding of what a dedicated and courageous foreign correspondent can accomplish.
From Ireland to Yemen, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Syria, there are rare war zones she hasn’t covered during her fifteen years of reporting. “Many of her reports are never in the front pages of U.S. media. She won the OPC’s Peter Jennings Award in 2021 for her coverage on PBS News Hour of the fall of Afghanistan and earned an Emmy for her reporting on Yemen, in addition to a George Polk Award and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award. When the Taliban claimed Kabul in 2021, she was one of the last Western journalists to remain at the airport as thousands of Afghans, including some of her colleagues, struggled to evacuate during that debacle, and also during Russia’s 2022 Ukraine invasion.”
This remarkable memoir is both eye-opening and informative. Above all, she sees the humanity in people – civilians and military alike. Hopefully Ferguson will write additional books.
Adult book reviews are by Susanne Dominguez.