A review by adam_armstrong_yu
I'll Tell You in Person by Chloe Caldwell

5.0

While writing my thesis, I'd decided to go back and reread some of my favorite essay collections, and this was at the top of my list. I feel so close to this book. It might seem minor, but there were so many tiny details describing where the author was from that absolutely struck me because they'd also been details in my own life, such as Coconuts, the music and movies store, and Freihofer’s cookies. The essays in this book recount moments in a life consumed by self-loathing, loneliness, talent, ambition, desperation, not caring, only caring, hurting, healing, until finally settling on a note tinged with hope, that a way through the mess might be possible. It’s about finding yourself at the intersection between wanting a home and not knowing where that might be, wanting to trust in yourself but not having a firm grasp on who that person is. Sometimes I found myself stepping away from the book because I identified with portions so strongly that I was nearly breathless, shuddering in recognition. This book will always have a place on my desk while I'm writing.