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A review by christenham
Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein
4.0
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Karen Neulander is a successful and powerful political consultant in New York City. She is raising her 6-year-old son Jacob alone and is extremely protective of him. She's been this way ever since conceiving him with someone who made it clear that kids were never part of his life's plan. Karen was diagnosed two years prior with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer, and though she is in remission, she is aware that she will not survive to see Jacob grow up. Because of this, she plans to write a book for Jacob to read when he is older.
While his mom is slowing dying, all Jacob wants to do is know his father. After much begging, he convinces Karen to contact him, and to Karen's surprise, Dave is delighted to find out more about his son and wants to have a relationship with him. A large portion of this book is Karen coming to terms with her need to let Dave be Jacob's dad.
"Our Short History" made me feel almost the entire spectrum of emotions. I really enjoyed the perspective that the book was written from. It was much more powerful than if it was told in a more traditional manner. I've never read anything by Lauren Grodstein before, but I was impressed by how much she made me feel things. My anxiety rose whenever Jacob would have a temper tantrum. When Karen got worked up, I too, felt that same level of anger. And when she felt despair, I felt it.
This book broke my heart in many ways, mostly because my mother is currently fighting cancer herself. I couldn't help but picture my mom writing this same book for her children, and at times I had to put the book down. I'm glad I read it, though, because it brought me a lot of peace.
Karen Neulander is a successful and powerful political consultant in New York City. She is raising her 6-year-old son Jacob alone and is extremely protective of him. She's been this way ever since conceiving him with someone who made it clear that kids were never part of his life's plan. Karen was diagnosed two years prior with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer, and though she is in remission, she is aware that she will not survive to see Jacob grow up. Because of this, she plans to write a book for Jacob to read when he is older.
While his mom is slowing dying, all Jacob wants to do is know his father. After much begging, he convinces Karen to contact him, and to Karen's surprise, Dave is delighted to find out more about his son and wants to have a relationship with him. A large portion of this book is Karen coming to terms with her need to let Dave be Jacob's dad.
"Our Short History" made me feel almost the entire spectrum of emotions. I really enjoyed the perspective that the book was written from. It was much more powerful than if it was told in a more traditional manner. I've never read anything by Lauren Grodstein before, but I was impressed by how much she made me feel things. My anxiety rose whenever Jacob would have a temper tantrum. When Karen got worked up, I too, felt that same level of anger. And when she felt despair, I felt it.
This book broke my heart in many ways, mostly because my mother is currently fighting cancer herself. I couldn't help but picture my mom writing this same book for her children, and at times I had to put the book down. I'm glad I read it, though, because it brought me a lot of peace.