A review by murphyjfraser
All That You Leave Behind: A Memoir by Erin Lee Carr

3.0

3.5 stars. The parts I enjoyed most about this book, the parts that inched me to 4 stars were the ones that intimately and often rawly portrayed the complexity of Erin and her father’s relationship. The push and pull, the highs and lows. I’m a sucker for tricky dad <> daughter relationships, and so I found myself drawn most into their captured written exchanges. I found myself wanting more of that - almost as if I was looking for more paternal guidance and wisdom and encouragement… for myself. That probably makes this review unfair, but then again aren’t all reviews from a stranger about someone else’s own story unfair? Anyways, it’s clear that some people exist (before and beyond the grave) as larger than life. This memoir shined brightest, for me, when Erin described her dad’s larger than life presence and their familial (and friendly, too?) dynamic, in all its beautiful yet gritty complexity.