RaveAtticus ReviewI began marking sections I wanted to return to, and it quickly became clear that I’d be marking the whole book ... brief, meditative, radiant passages that add up into a version of memoir ... Babine has a deft touch with language and the ability to convey complex feelings with clarity. She evokes depth of feeling without being dramatic. I wanted to read parts of the book to a loved one the way a kid wants to show a friend her skinned knee. Don’t touch where it hurts/but this is where it hurts. She is fully living her story, but also studying and analyzing it – recognizing its value, placing it in context. The writing combines Lia Purpura’s lyrical precision and the clear-eyed directness of Roxane Gay ... I admired the anti-velocity of the narrative, its attention to the small moment, its recognition that small moments are often big moments ... Babine’s story is not my story, but the pleasure (that is not the right word, but it will do) is her lucidity in the face of confusion and love in the face of fear. Her vast curiosity and intelligence have yielded a book of struggle, engagement and comfort ... Much of this book is about beauty and comfort, much of it is about the things that lend order, that anchor a life in the face of uncertainty (I offer a nod to Milkweed Editions and art director Mary Austin Speaker, who produced a beautiful book that is a pleasure to look at and to hold). Just as Babine uses her beloved cookware, the book itself grounds, as an artful object both within and on its surface ... n exhilarating comfort, in recognizing Babine’s engagement with the surreal time between diagnosis and what comes after diagnosis, and in savoring (that is the right word) the eloquence and care that has gone into sharing her story.
