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A review by hellojoie
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir by Elizabeth McCracken
4.0
I wish I could give half stars on Goodreads--I'd easily give four-and-a-half.
Elizabeth McCracken's An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination is both devastating and funny; it's quirky, poignant, and a whole host of other adjectives that you might or might not expect to accurately describe a memoir about the experience of having had a stillborn child. I read about it recently in a glowing review from NPR, downloaded it immediately, and pretty much wolfed it down in a matter of hours.
Above all, and most importantly I think to its success, the memoir is honest. McCracken does not wallow, but she speaks of the grief she and her husband endured frankly and realistically. She is a tremendously likable narrator. Obviously the content could easily make this book too depressing to read--or too uncomfortable (the author makes frequent mentions of how frustrating but understandable it is for people to avoid wanting to acknowledge that anything so tragic has occurred, much less discuss it at length). But the structure helps keep that from happening--the first few chapters deal with more of an overview of what has occurred (and mercifully tell us early on that she has successfully had another child since); the middle section goes through a chronological telling of her pregnancy, childbirth, emotional aftermath, and second pregnancy; and the last few chapters deal specifically with the truly heartbreaking stuff, exactly what happened immediately before and after her loss of the child.
Despite the necessarily sad nature of the content, the book is still often hilarious and optimistic in a realistic sort of way. Absolutely a great read.
Elizabeth McCracken's An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination is both devastating and funny; it's quirky, poignant, and a whole host of other adjectives that you might or might not expect to accurately describe a memoir about the experience of having had a stillborn child. I read about it recently in a glowing review from NPR, downloaded it immediately, and pretty much wolfed it down in a matter of hours.
Above all, and most importantly I think to its success, the memoir is honest. McCracken does not wallow, but she speaks of the grief she and her husband endured frankly and realistically. She is a tremendously likable narrator. Obviously the content could easily make this book too depressing to read--or too uncomfortable (the author makes frequent mentions of how frustrating but understandable it is for people to avoid wanting to acknowledge that anything so tragic has occurred, much less discuss it at length). But the structure helps keep that from happening--the first few chapters deal with more of an overview of what has occurred (and mercifully tell us early on that she has successfully had another child since); the middle section goes through a chronological telling of her pregnancy, childbirth, emotional aftermath, and second pregnancy; and the last few chapters deal specifically with the truly heartbreaking stuff, exactly what happened immediately before and after her loss of the child.
Despite the necessarily sad nature of the content, the book is still often hilarious and optimistic in a realistic sort of way. Absolutely a great read.