A review by lisaharkins
You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know: A True Story of Family, Face Blindness, and Forgiveness by Heather Sellers

4.0

This is a fascinating memoir of a woman who suffers from face blindness or prosopagnosia, a rare neurological condition that prevents her from recognizing people's faces. It is interesting to learn about this condition and how the author compensates (remembering distinctive eyebrows, ears, hair, clothing.) She is an English professor but eventually loses friends because of her condition. Reading about Sellers' childhood reminds me of other books, like The Glass Castle and Running With Scissors. How she survives the negligent/dangerous parenting and the serious family dysfunction is a wonder. (Her mother was a paranoid schizophrenic who nailed windows shut and her father was an alcoholic, cross dresser who took in drifters and disappeared without explanation.) As with Glass Castle and Running With Scissors, this book makes me grateful for the strength and resiliency of children. But it also makes me wonder about that woman who always walks by me as if she doesn't know me, the one I always thought was such a snob. Maybe, just maybe she has face blindness?? I guess you just never know what people are struggling with. This book is not well known. I found it while searching for another book - Blindness by Jose Saramago. But Sellers' journey of self-discovery and diagnosis is a fascinating read. I enjoyed her writing and tone. She never feels sorry for herself and she writes with humor and intelligence. I recommend it.