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Still Points North: Surviving The World's Greatest Alaskan Childhood (2013)

by Leigh Newman(Favorite Author)

3.68 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1400069246 (ISBN13: 9781400069248)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

The Dial Press

review 1: Tanya picked this book because she's friends with Leigh via their sons' school. The memoir was heart-wrenching in some parts to the point that it was too agonizing to read. I was impressed by how Leigh exposed her vulnerabilities and shared her often painful childhood memories. She is clearly a gifted writer because her narrative effortlessly carries you along major episodes of her life, even those you don't really want to necessarily read about. Emotions displayed here are raw - both in vivid dialogues replicated by Leigh and in many (too many in my view) unsaid words. She gives voice to those who suffered from divorce, mental illness and just not knowing where you belong. The book takes you to Alaska, Baltimore and countless many international locations (she was a ... moretravel writer after all) which certainly make it interesting, but it's basically about her inner world. It was great to meet Leigh at our book club meeting - perfectly charming and engaging. I would have given this book a 3.5 just because I'm a picky reader but I rounded up because I thought Leigh was courageous in writing this book. Also you learn a thing or two about surviving in the Alaskan wilderness!
review 2: I read an excerpt of this in a magazine recently and enjoyed it - the memoir starts with Leigh Newman moving from Alaska to Baltimore with her mom after her parents sudden and acrimonious divorce, and covers how their relationship and her bouncing between two worlds affected her and how she interacted with the world. It's an interesting mix of "everyone I love is amazing and wonderful and also total assholes who screwed me up," but I like her writing style. less

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