A Powerful Book

A powerful book—“The Year of Magical Thinking,” Joan Didion’s memories of the year her husband and her daughter died. Full of intelligent details, intelligent insights, and… intense pain. Listening to it on disk, I had to turn it off once in a while because the pain was too intense.

Mark Twain wrote about the death of his daughter—a quiet, plain report. Missing memorable details. This book is full of
memorable details, something you would expect from a novelist.

Writing it probably helped her. Therapy. Listening to it, I shared her pain – and I can’t express why but I am grateful that I was able to share her year of agony.

I must read more by Joan Didion. What a gifted writer!