November Reading

I actually finished Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal in late October. This is an adoption memoir by Jeannette Winterson. She is an adoptee, feminist, author, and lesbian. The book club read two of her books many years ago; she refers to one of them – Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit – numerous times in this book.

Winterson recounts aspects of her childhood as the adopted daughter of Mrs. Winterson, who is abusive and unbalanced. In the end, the author searches for and finds her biological mother, but decides to not form a lasting relationship with her. That last part is something that we rarely hear about in the reunion stories of popular press. Her reasons are tied up in her own complex history and are interesting to me as I reflect on my relationships (or lack thereof) with certain members of my own biological family.

The book reads like an extended essay, side-tracking as she re-examines memories and incidents from her youth and what they mean for her today. I enjoyed the book immensely and the story of her search touched me deeply.

Two other books that I read simultaneously and finished within days of each other: There But For The by Ali Smith was a fairly humorous and at times interesting look at loneliness in the midst of crowds and a plethora of social media. When I first finished, I thought “that was OK.” My feelings about at as the days go by are improving.

The other book was The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly. The author’s name is about all you need to know – it is a well-constructed, well-paced murder mystery (not a Harry Bosch novel).