Sunday, April 13, 2008

Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy


"At age nine, Lucy Grealy was diagnosed with a potentially terminal cancer. When she returned to school with a third of her jaw removed, she faced the cruel taunts of classmates. In this strikingly candid memoir, Grealy tells her story of great suffering and remarkable strength without sentimentality and with considerable wit. Vividly portraying the pain of peer rejection and the guilty pleasure of wanting to be special, Grealy captures with unique insight what it is like as a child and young adult to be torn between two warring impulses: to feel that more than anything else we want to be loved for who we are, while wishing desperately and secretly to be perfect." (Amazon)
The book was originally published in 1994 but in 2003, author Ann Patchett who was Lucy Grealy's best friend added an afterward. She wrote that Grealy wanted to be recognized for the quality of her writing and not just for the emotional impact of her experience. I thought that the writing was excellent and the story was powerful.
I am currently reading, Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett which is sort of a companion novel to Autobiography of a Face. Patchett give many insights into her friendship with Grealy.

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