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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
As someone who lost her mother before I turned 20, I found this book riveting. My minor quibble was that the chapters were not in chronological order and I did find that a bit difficult to follow.
A beautiful memoir on grief. I like that she jumps back and forth in time, though she does often repeat herself. A quick and heartbreaking read.
Loved this book. I couldn't put it down. Bidwell Smith does an amazing job of making such a heavy topic enjoyable to read, and finding all the joy and lessons in her hard young life. This book was so engaging and well written. I didn't want it to end.
I actively disliked the first 2/3rds of this book. And then the end somehow redeemed it for me. It is very sad and dark for the most part, but really ends on a happy note. Mixed feelings. . ..
Phew. This was hard and also really good. Her experience, particularly with her father, is the most mirrored I’ve felt in a while.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
I gave it three stars because I felt bad for the author, but I did not enjoy the choppy and disjointed writing style.
Oof. This book. I read it several months after my own mother died from cancer & I cried my way through the entire thing. Which was a beautiful & cathartic thing. I’ve read many memoirs about losing a parent to cancer & this was the most resonant. I loved it & I’m so grateful it was written.
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2012/02/rules-of-inheritance.html
The Rules of Inheritance is the memoir of Claire Bidwell Smith. She is a licensed therapist specializing in helping patients through grief. This book tells the story of her very personal journey. She is an only child of loving parents. When she was fourteen, both parents were diagnosed with cancer. She lost both parents to the disease in the following few years. This book tells the story of her journey through tragedy.
The book is not a chronological story of what happened. Rather, it captures moments that depict Claire's passage through the various stages of grief. The five stages of grief are based on a model introduced by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her book, On Death and Dying. The stages are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
The structure of this book works well. The lack of chronology ceases to matter a short while into the book. The book has so few characters, and the story is punctuated by such major events that it is clear where each section is in the chronology of Claire's life.
This is not a pretty story. It is, however, a real one. It tells the story of regrets - things she wishes she had done or things she wishes she had told her parents while she had the time. An emotion we can all relate to. The book also tells the story of self-destructive behaviors she adopted to get through this time. Again, feelings and actions we can all relate to even if our choice of escape might be different. It tells the story of loneliness even when surrounded by people. Again, sometimes a universal emotional. It finally tells the story of hope and survival. Something we all need to believe in.
This book is not an easy read. But it is a worthwhile one. It provides a window onto this human experience in a captivating and heartfelt book.
***Reviewed for the GoodReads First Reads Program***
The Rules of Inheritance is the memoir of Claire Bidwell Smith. She is a licensed therapist specializing in helping patients through grief. This book tells the story of her very personal journey. She is an only child of loving parents. When she was fourteen, both parents were diagnosed with cancer. She lost both parents to the disease in the following few years. This book tells the story of her journey through tragedy.
The book is not a chronological story of what happened. Rather, it captures moments that depict Claire's passage through the various stages of grief. The five stages of grief are based on a model introduced by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her book, On Death and Dying. The stages are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
The structure of this book works well. The lack of chronology ceases to matter a short while into the book. The book has so few characters, and the story is punctuated by such major events that it is clear where each section is in the chronology of Claire's life.
This is not a pretty story. It is, however, a real one. It tells the story of regrets - things she wishes she had done or things she wishes she had told her parents while she had the time. An emotion we can all relate to. The book also tells the story of self-destructive behaviors she adopted to get through this time. Again, feelings and actions we can all relate to even if our choice of escape might be different. It tells the story of loneliness even when surrounded by people. Again, sometimes a universal emotional. It finally tells the story of hope and survival. Something we all need to believe in.
This book is not an easy read. But it is a worthwhile one. It provides a window onto this human experience in a captivating and heartfelt book.
***Reviewed for the GoodReads First Reads Program***