Your Next Read is...
I AM, I AM, I AM by Maggie O'Farrell
William Zinsser, in ON WRITING WELL, says that a writer must “develop a respect for words and a curiosity about their shades of meaning that is almost obsessive. The English language is rich in strong and supple words. Take the time to root around and find the ones you want.”
If Zinsser was alive he might read Maggie O’Farrell’s I AM, I AM, I AM: SEVENTEEN BRUSHES WITH DEATH and say, “Like this. Exactly like this.”
With all the hype around the Hamnet movie right now, it seems a good time to mention Maggie O’Farrell and tell you she writes both fiction and nonfiction equally well! Here’s the online summary:
I Am, I Am, I Am is Maggie O'Farrell's astonishing memoir of the near-death experiences that have punctuated and defined her life. The childhood illness that left her bedridden for a year, which she was not expected to survive. A teenage yearning to escape that nearly ended in disaster. An encounter with a disturbed man on a remote path. And, most terrifying of all, an ongoing, daily struggle to protect her daughter--for whom this book was written--from a condition that leaves her unimaginably vulnerable to life's myriad dangers.
As happens almost every week with these recs, I think it might be time for a reread of this one. It’s been a few years since I’ve read anything by O’Farrell and I miss her painstaking attention to detail and her obvious care, respect and curiosity around words.
Let me know if you decide to read it!
THE CRAFT DISTILLERY is for writers who enjoy talking shop about books, craft, and all things writing. Posts are short, designed to be read in a minute or less, and include weekly book recs, like this one, and inspiration for meeting your writing goals. You can subscribe to have new posts sent straight to your inbox.
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