Tuesday, July 21, 2020

I Am I Am I Am by Maggie O'Farrell


I Am I Am I Am by Maggie O'Farrell is definitely in my Top 10 2020 reads, so far. Subtitled "Seventeen Brushes With Death," it is a memoir that examines 16 times O'Farrell easily could have lost her life but survived or escaped danger. The final essay is about her daughter's extreme allergies and how the author cherishes every day with her, knowing that she could lose her daughter at any time.

Highly recommended - The writing in I Am I Am I Am is spectacular. Stunning prose, often unsettling but always written in a way that makes you feel the raw emotion of near drowning or the sharp fear of encountering dangerous men, the genuine grief of loss after a pregnancy disaster. Just an amazing work of art, really. I don't know about other readers, but O'Farrell had me thinking about my own frightening experiences for days. Also, the last line of the final essay choked me up.


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4 comments:

  1. Jeane1:06 PM

    It sounds intense!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bookfool2:19 PM

      Yeah, there were times I'm pretty sure I was holding my breath.

      Delete
  2. Marg6:12 AM

    I've just requested my first O'Farrell book from the library.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bookfool10:20 AM

      Hope you enjoy it, Marg! I love her writing style.

      Delete

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