PositiveLibrary JournalReaders will enjoy this elegantly written memoir of a mother and daughter’s trip through beautiful terrain, with moments of heartwarming bonding; relatives of people with dementia or memory loss will be particularly touched ... This grounded, readable, and gracefully written memoir is an interesting take on the road trip genre, particularly relatable to people affected by dementia.
Eden Collinsworth
PositiveLibrary JournalInquisitive and with an eye for social commentary, Collinsworth moves at a dizzying pace: What century is it? Did the war end already? Several existing books also speak to elements about Lady with an Ermine, and the hands it has gone through over time, but they can be quite dry or only give part of the story. Collinsworth brings it all together and makes the story accessible and juicy, reveling in the more sordid details of courtly life and general scandal. Although some readers will recognize Leonardo’s famous portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, young mistress of the Duke of Milan, and her sleek pet, many others will be surprised at how it came to be and all the drama surrounding its survival ... Art lovers and history buffs will enjoy this fast-paced, entertaining romp from the Renaissance to the present day, focusing on one painting by one of the world’s most famous, intriguing, and mysterious artists.
Maud Newton
PositiveLibrary JournalAn engaging and thoroughly researched memoir relaying a family history that is at turns recognizable and abhorrent, as an honest and typical history of American exceptionalism, racism, and misogyny. Will appealing to lovers of memoirs, family secrets, genealogy, and the sociological makeup threading U.S. history.
Liz Scheier
RaveLibrary Journal[A] memoir that blends dark humor with heartache ... [Scheier\'s] rich imagery and engaging prose will keep readers turning the pages as she recounts growing up in 1990s Manhattan with a mother who had borderline personality disorder ... Readers who have lived in New York City, are members of Generation X, or grew up in an environment tinged with mental illness will find much to relate to in this memoir; those who are intrigued by family secrets will want to keep up with the unknown diagnoses and identities that unravel within ... A brave exploration of a difficult but forever-connected mother-daughter relationship. Scheier’s memoir will appeal to many, thanks to its wit, unraveling mystery, and honesty.
Scarlett Thomas
MixedLibrary JournalHer own coming-of-age story is written in the style of her novels, and the author’s characteristic acerbic wit shines through. The memoir will thus be a joy to Thomas’s fans but might be off-putting to those uninterested in her upper-middle-class lifestyle and her indulgence in jealousy, complaints, and criticism of self and others ... Thomas’s writing is darkly funny at times, and she brings readers along as she navigates the death of her beloved dog and caring for her aging parents ... Most readers will need to have a keen interest in playing tennis to appreciate this memoir’s focus but they might be rewarded with a meditation on the psychology behind a tennis obsession.
Gregory Curtis
PositiveLibrary JournalWritten with sometimes spontaneous prose as memories resurface from time to time, as well as with clear-eyed recollections, this captivating book will delight readers by sweeping them from locale to locale within the City of Light. Curtis’s personal anecdotes and historic tidbits are written with a genuine tenderness and journalistic eye throughout ... Although slated as a memoir, this touching work is just as much a love story and travel diary. It processes the pain of loss through the lens of beautiful scenery and will appeal to many readers, but especially fellow Francophiles eager to follow the road less traveled.
Dave Kindred
PositiveLibrary JournalThis book serves as both an insightful look into the transient world of freewheeling American drifters while also being a vulnerable and open exploration of what it means to be a family watching a loved one struggling with addiction. Kindred’s frequent thoughts of \"what if?\" will resonate with many.
