Delia Ephron is a prolific author, renowned for her accomplishments as a novelist, a creator of a craft book, screenwriter and playwright. In this instance, however, she has become an autobiographical essayist, sharing her deepest thoughts and inner turmoil in a sincere, graphic manner. In these vignettes, if you would, you are exposed to the most challenging, meaningful times of her life, beginning with the death of her beloved sister, Nora. If you have ever lost a loved one, and most of us have, you will relate to this poignant chapter in the book in a most passionate way. Ms. Ephron’s eloquent writing style will have you racing across the pages, then wanting to revisit them because the memories are so vivid and relative.
The titles of the various essays are intriguing, to say the least. The author draws you in on one level, then expands to an element that is more complex than one could have perceived. “Bakeries” is a fanciful trip down memory lane through the shops where she found sweet delicacies that were unforgettable, evolving into a reflective treatise where she discusses the misconceptions of ‘having it all’. It is brilliantly executed. In yet another, her development of the curses of being a worrier will give you pause, hoping that you can internalize the extent to which it can be so detrimental and non-productive. Sibling rivalries, friendships, religion, marriage and her Mom are explorations not to be forgotten.
This book is graphically honest, forthright and intuitively revealing. You will find yourself (or your sister, your husband, your mother and, yes, even your dog) in more than one place in this book, dealing with the same challenges, feeling the same emotions. You will laugh, then cry and then laugh all over again. Ms. Ephron does not skip a beat, etc., etc., etc.!