An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir (Roughcut)
by Elizabeth McCracken
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Book Summary Information
Author: Elizabeth McCrackenEdition: Roughcut
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-09-10
ISBN: 0316027677
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780316027670
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir (Roughcut)
Book Review: Tragedy, yes, but so well told
Summary: 5 Stars
I read five books on vacation, and I'm struggling to remember the titles of the other four. This book was so far superior to the others that it has pushed them right out of my head.
This book won't appeal to those who like to view tragedy through a lens of sentimentality. This account of the author's experience of giving birth to a stillborn child is tragic; the pain of it takes your breath away. But the author's personality is not erased by the tragedy. Her powers of observation and her wry sense of humor enliven this tale that could otherwise be unbearable to read, as it must have been unbearable for her to experience.
To talk about humor in regards to a stillbirth sounds utterly wrong. Even to Ms. McCracken, a woman's suggestion that she write about "the lighter side" of losing a child, seemed odd at first. This is not "ha ha" humor, though, but a biting humor that heightens the starkness of the experience. It's the kind of humor you share with someone close -- as Elizabeth McCracken and her husband did -- in order to handle emotions that threaten to overwhelm you. I have experienced it at funerals. Those in mourning can be strengthed by this shared response, often one of outright hilarity, although it startles outsiders. That she and her husband find relief in joking about the "Dwarfs of Grief," for example, is no surprise in this context.
The author has wisely woven the tale of her second child into this story of her first, so that the reader knows all along that the author is finally cradling a dearly loved and longed-for baby even as she mourns her lost child. So, don't be afraid to read this book on vacation. It is ultimately a tale of both hope and despair.
Summary of An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir (Roughcut)
"This is the happiest story in the world with the saddest ending," writes Elizabeth McCracken in her powerful, inspiring memoir. A prize-winning, successful novelist in her 30s, McCracken was happy to be an itinerant writer and self-proclaimed spinster. But suddenly she fell in love, got married, and two years ago was living in a remote part ofThis book is about what happened next. In her ninth month of pregnancy, she learned that her baby boy had died. How do you deal with and recover from this kind of loss? Of course you don't--but you go on. And if you have ever experienced loss or love someone who has, the company of this remarkable book will help you go on.
With humor and warmth and unfailing generosity, McCracken considers the nature of love and grief. She opens her heart and leaves all of ours the richer for it.
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