The Year My Mother Came Back by Alice Eve Cohen
Copyright 2015
Algonquin Books - Memoir
288 pp.
Quick synopsis:
A memoir detailing the year the author, dealing with life-threatening illness and her daughter's upcoming surgery, reflected on her childhood and was visited by her deceased mother.
My thoughts, in brief:
I didn't realize this book was (at least partially) a book about a person dealing with cancer until I was thoroughly immersed. Those of you who have read this blog for any length of time know I avoid books in which main characters battle cancer because it's something I can no longer bear to think about. I used to read "courageous stories of people fighting the deadly illness" all the time but have found them unbearable since my mother's death from cancer. Alice Cohen's writing, though, is charming enough that I opted to keep reading in spite of my own discomfort. And, it's not just about her illness; it's also about her childhood and how her mother dealt with the same illness, as well as the challenge her daughter was going through as she had leg-lengthening surgery.
The one thing that perplexed me about The Year My Mother Came Back was the visitation. Was Cohen visited by her mother's ghost, experiencing delusions or did she deliberately conjur her mother up and imagine conversations with her because she needed someone to help her walk through the challenges of this emotional year? I don't know; and, at one point the author admits she isn't sure, herself -- which struck me as a bit weird. I really wanted to know what the deal was. And, yet, the book was one that swept me away. I especially enjoyed reading about her childhood, her angst over the damage she was certain she inflicted on her daughter, and the overall focus on family.
Recommended - Really a lovely little book about dealing with health challenges that focuses on the author's memories of family, for better or worse. I found the book uncomfortable at times, but there was so much to like about The Year My Mother Came Back that the moment I considered setting the book aside because the author talked about her cancer was brief. My desire to find out how things turned out won the day.
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Well if it kept you reading despite the uncomfortable subject matter that's a good book. As for whether she was seeing her mother or not. I kind of like those opened endings.
ReplyDeleteYep, "recommended" in this case means it was a 4-star book. I usually do "highly recommended" for my 5-star ratings. So, quite good. I really enjoyed it. It didn't occur to me to think of whether or not she saw her mother as an open ending. Good way to look at it. I don't mind that in fiction so why not in NF? Thanks for mentioning that!
DeleteSounds like a difficult book to read, especially for you. Quite the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteYes, just the disease part was difficult. The rest was enjoyable. It's a good read, in my humble opinion.
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