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A review by lisaeirene
Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein
4.0
is a single mother in Manhattan, working as a political consultant. This book is written in part story-form and part memoir. It reads like a true story, but I don't think it was. 6 years ago, Karen was dating a man she thought was the one and accidentally got pregnant. He said he never wanted kids. They split up. She raised Jake on her own.
This book is about a love story--a love between a mother and child--about loss and motherhood.
"...we fell asleep pondering the condition of being mothers, which was, of course, the condition of helping the people you love most in the world leave you. [pg 207]"
A few years before the book begins, Karen finds out she has ovarian cancer--Stage IV. She's given treatment and has the support of her sister and her family and Jake. But she only has a few years.
"I want them to be your soft place to land. This is, I think, the best thing a family can be. [pg 6]"
She spends half her time in New York and the other half in Seattle with her sister, so that Jake can get close to her sister and his cousins, basically preparing him for when she dies and her sister takes him in. Jake starts asking about his father and reluctantly she reaches out to Dave, who had no idea she had kept the baby. Suddenly, he wants to be very much involved in Jake's life.
This makes Karen uncomfortable and rightly freaked out that Dave is going to try and take Jake from her because she's dying. But in the end, everybody kind of makes peace with the past and she lets that go.
"Jake, there will always be days in your life, even if you can't remember me, that you will miss me. That you'll need me. A person never stops needing his mother. [pg 63]"
The book is about the story of cancer, treatment, preparing to die, and writing a book for her son telling him her story. She also gives him advice.
"When people are mean to you, remember something is probably lacking in their lives, not yours. Check for lumps. Try to get eight hours of sleep at a stretch as often as possible. Be thoughtful about money, fall in love with the right person, read a lot. Know that your family--they think of you as one of theirs. [pg 138]"
The book was good. There were parts that seemed a little unnecessary (like the stuff about her job that went on a little too long to hold my interest) but overall it was a good read. It sounds like it would be a tear-jerker type of a story, but it honestly wasn't. There was some hope and closure.
This book is about a love story--a love between a mother and child--about loss and motherhood.
"...we fell asleep pondering the condition of being mothers, which was, of course, the condition of helping the people you love most in the world leave you. [pg 207]"
A few years before the book begins, Karen finds out she has ovarian cancer--Stage IV. She's given treatment and has the support of her sister and her family and Jake. But she only has a few years.
"I want them to be your soft place to land. This is, I think, the best thing a family can be. [pg 6]"
She spends half her time in New York and the other half in Seattle with her sister, so that Jake can get close to her sister and his cousins, basically preparing him for when she dies and her sister takes him in. Jake starts asking about his father and reluctantly she reaches out to Dave, who had no idea she had kept the baby. Suddenly, he wants to be very much involved in Jake's life.
This makes Karen uncomfortable and rightly freaked out that Dave is going to try and take Jake from her because she's dying. But in the end, everybody kind of makes peace with the past and she lets that go.
"Jake, there will always be days in your life, even if you can't remember me, that you will miss me. That you'll need me. A person never stops needing his mother. [pg 63]"
The book is about the story of cancer, treatment, preparing to die, and writing a book for her son telling him her story. She also gives him advice.
"When people are mean to you, remember something is probably lacking in their lives, not yours. Check for lumps. Try to get eight hours of sleep at a stretch as often as possible. Be thoughtful about money, fall in love with the right person, read a lot. Know that your family--they think of you as one of theirs. [pg 138]"
The book was good. There were parts that seemed a little unnecessary (like the stuff about her job that went on a little too long to hold my interest) but overall it was a good read. It sounds like it would be a tear-jerker type of a story, but it honestly wasn't. There was some hope and closure.