Book Review- Mira Jacob's Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations

I work at a bookstore and during a recent opening shift, I was familiarizing myself with the new merchandise and spotted Mira Jacob’s Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations. Memoir is one of my favorite genres, and although I have not read many graphic novels, I was intrigued by the blending of the two. I purchased it and I was so taken by the concept, that I set-aside my overflowing TBR pile and bumped Good Talk to top of my queue.

Jacob’s parents immigrated to the United States before she was born, settling in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they had Jacob and her older brother. Jacob’s family would frequently return to India for vacations, where she was made aware that her skin color was darker than her immediate family members and felt the concern that this might limit her prospects of future marriage. Jacob shares details of her parent’s relationship and arranged marriage, highlighting the differences between her parent’s upbringing and the American culture in which she was raised. Although there are struggles, there is a lot of love and humor in her family dynamics, and towards the end of the book, very emotional moments as Jacob spends time with her father as he dies from cancer.

Jacob pursues a writing career. Early in her career she struggles with the balance between working for experience and working for money. She encounters situations where her appearance, being both female and a person of color, create cringy dynamics where others label and stereotype her. The micro- aggressions are rampant. This inhibits her ability to let her quality of work speak for itself and diminishes her perceived value to would-be employers and colleagues. I’ve experienced this being female, but Jacob has the additional layer of being a POC. It’s maddening.

Good Talk is told through conversations and the timeline is not linear. It starts with a conversation that Jacob has with her elementary-aged son regarding Michael Jackson and skin color. Jacob’s husband is white and their child is starting to ask questions. These questions become more intense as events surrounding the Trump presidency and the Black Lives Matter movement are in the news. Jacob’s in-laws, whom she loves, are ardent Trump supporters, unable to realize how voting for Trump could impact their daughter-in-law and grandson.

The deep divisions that are currently plaguing the United States will be familiar to most readers. My heart hurt reading about Jacob’s conflict with her in-laws, as they reminded me of my own fractured relationships that have emerged during the Trump presidency and the pandemic. However, I liked the way that Jacob and her husband are handling the situation. They are hurting and angry, yet they are not cutting off communication from their loved ones. They are hoping for a future with more understanding and more conversations. They are not staying silent in their opinions, yet they are trying to be patient with the people they love, hoping for understanding. I wonder if her in-laws read this book and if it changed their relationship.

Good Talk is a heavy read, filled with a dose of humor. I love the concept of a memoir that is also a graphic novel. The visual elements make it feel like more of an experience, similar to attending an art exhibit. I will definitely seek out more graphic novels to broaden my reading.

Book Review- Laura Clery's Idiots: Marriage, Motherhood, Milk and Mistakes

Thank you to LibroFM and Simon & Schuster Audio for a copy of the audio version of Laura Clery’s memoir, Idiots: Marriage, Motherhood, Milk & Mistakes.

Prior to Idiots, I had not heard of Laura Clery. I just thought Idiots sounded like a book that I’d enjoy and I’ve since learned that she is an actress, comedian, and has quite a large social media presence.

Clery is very funny and completely open about her life, including some less than stellar personal moments. She gets cringy. She includes stories that were too personal or horrific to include in her first memoir, stating that she now feels ready to share them. I admire her willingness to be so open, especially as some of the content was quite shocking.

Clery narrates the audio version of her book and I felt this added to the experience. Admittedly, it took me a bit of time to get used to her voice, especially when she gets enthusiastic and changes her tone for effect. She can be loud! However, I liked that I could experience her stories in the way she wants listeners/readers to experience them, through her vocal changes and pauses. Adding to the comedic effect, Clery does hilarious accents/voices, such as her British husband and her elderly neighbor. Clery is a solid storyteller, both through her writing and her vocalizations.

Although there is plenty of humor, Idiots also deals with serious subjects such as addiction, infidelity, and parenting issues. Clery explains the difficulties and joys of being neurodivergent. Not only is she neurodivergent, but so are her son and husband. Clery shares her thoughts on the importance of celebrating all types of people, and that despite the challenges, having a different way of thinking can be an asset to both an individual’s life and to the greater world. It’s a hopeful and kind message.

I throughly enjoyed Idiots. I look forward to reading Clery’s first memoir and future works.

Book Review- Mary Laura Philpott's Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives

Thank you to LibroFM and Simon & Schuster Audio for a copy of Mary Laura Philpott’s memoir, Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives.

I have to confess that the combination of the title and the turtle on the cover drew me to Philpott’s memoir, and I knew nothing about the author or subject matter prior to enjoying the audio version of Bomb Shelter. Luckily, judging a book by its cover is a perfectly acceptable way of finding new books and in most cases, as with this, it’s a gut instinct worth following. The turtle plays a minor, yet impactful role in Philpott’s life and if you’re an animal lover like me, you will connect with this moment.

Philpott has a wicked sense of humor. In Bomb Shelter she deftly balances humor with very personal topics, such a serious medical condition that is affecting her teenage son and a revelation from her father regarding the nature of his job when Philpott was a child, which inspires the title of the memoir. Philpott’s memoir is funny and profoundly affecting.

I was cleaning my kitchen while listening and the last paragraphs are so beautifully written with such an inspiring sentiment, that I paused with sponge in hand and was tearing up. Bomb Shelter is not only a book that I enjoyed immensely and will recommend widely, but it is book that I will purchase to give as gifts to friends.