Day 1 at the beach and I just finished my first book: The Middle Placeby Kelly Corrigan. While the book has been on my to-read list for a while, the universe obviously decided my emotions needed a workout. On the heels of Father’s Day, I ended up starting and finishing this memoir of Corrigan’s growing up with a gregarious and loving father woven together with stories of her own battle with breast cancer years later.
Not exactly light beach reading, you are thinking. I must have made quite the incongruous picture: lounging on a blue and red striped beach chair soaking up the beautiful, sunny day with my feet buried in the sand –while tears streamed down my face and dark sunglasses shielded my red-rimmed eyes.
I won’t share more of the plot other than to say that, for every tear shed, there were twice as many laugh-out-load moments. And gulps of recognition while reading Corrigan’s poignant descriptions of her inner thoughts and emotions, including her ongoing desire to be the apple of her father’s eye. Corrigan’s storytelling is full of vivid details, making me feel like I have a front-row seat to the Corrigan family’s life story.
Fifteen years ago, I spent my last Father’s Day with my own father, Robert Lincoln Rock. On that June day in 1994, I knew he would succumb to cancer in the not-too-distant future. But, knowing intellectually and knowing in your heart are two different things. While I understood the poor prognosis for pancreatic cancer, I remained in a (un?)healthy state of denial.
I have no memory of that last Father’s Day. I don’t remember spending extra time picking out a card to send. I have no idea what we talked about when I called to wish him a Happy Father’s Day. (Surely, I called him, right?) Did my brothers, who also lived in Florida, take him out that day? Oh, no. Wait … at that point in the summer, my dad was up in Boston with his wife, who was battling her own form of cancer and seeking treatment at a top cancer hospital. I will never know if I took advantage of that last opportunity to honor my father.
Kelly Corrigan is a highly skilled author and I admire her breezy, yet honest writing style. But, most of all, I envy her ability to recall the small, seemingly unremarkable details of life. If I had such recall, I could wrap myself up in those detailed memories and take some comfort.
Anyone else read The Middle Place?
6-23-2009 10:10:00
I read this book a few months ago and loved, loved, loved it. My husband kept wondering why I was laughing out loud at a book about a woman battling breast cancer. But, as Elaine said, it’s tender and sad and poignant and laugh-out-loud funny all at the same time. I can’t recommend it highly enough. I wish I could write like that.
6-24-2009 10:03:35
This is a wonderful book. Glad you are sharing it here! Here’s to a summer of great reading, in the back yard or on the beach.
6-24-2009 20:44:57
Always looking for good books. Thanks for the recco. You really had a sunny day? We had our 20th day of rain this month today up here!
6-26-2009 14:31:19
I was glad to read you are enjoying the beach. You have had a busy schoolyear and were due for some R & R. I’m always looking for a good read and this book has moved to the top of my summer reading list. Speaking of summer, there has been a sighting here of the round orange glow in the sky.