My favourite books to listen to on audio are memoirs, especially if they are narrated by the authors themselves. In this case, I was looking through Ann Patchett’s backlist when I discovered a non-fiction book of hers called Truth & Beauty about her friendship with Lucy Grealy. I thought it only fair to read Lucy’s own story first, before getting Patchett’s take on it.
Autobiography of a Face is a harrowing account of poet Lucy Grealy’s diagnosis of a rare form of cancer (Ewing’s Sarcoma) in her jaw as a child, and all of the treatments and surgeries (38 reconstructive surgeries) she had to endure. Her story is a journey about finding identity, overcoming obstacles, struggling with confidence and self-worth because of her facial disfigurement, and finding her way through a world that was not always kind to her. Interview with Lucy in 1994.
Truth and Beauty is an elegy of friendship–about loving a person you cannot save–a book of joy and tragedy. It is a candid memoir that is limited to the parts of Lucy and Ann’s life shared together. The book paints a portrait of unwavering commitment that spans twenty years, from the long cold winters of the Midwest, to surgical wards, to book parties in New York. It was published 18 months after Lucy’s death at age 39 from a heroin overdose. Lucy’s family expressed regret that Ann’s book was published so soon after Lucy’s death and that it contained so many private details.
I’m not sure about this myself. Ann’s descriptions of Lucy’s difficult journey paint a poignant picture of the struggle and how special their friendship was. But is this a beautiful tribute to a friend, or did she overshare things entrusted to the confidence of a close relationship?
“Lucy’s sister, Suellen Grealy, was opposed to Ann Patchett’s timing in publishing Truth and Beauty. While she claims that Patchett and the book’s publisher HarperCollins stole the Grealy family’s right to grieve privately, she acknowledges that ‘Ann was a far better ‘sister’ to Lucy than I could ever have been’. (Wikipedia) Here is an article written by that sister in The Guardian, entitled Hijacked by Grief.
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Just watched Lucy Greeley’s interview.. looking forward to reading her book..
I had read Ann Patchetts book,Truth and Beauty.. some time ago.. was very moving..we can feel so very alone when we suffer and the comfort of a truly dear friend is such a gift..
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Very true Charlotte. It can be a lonely road and good friend can make all the difference.
I read both books years ago and don’t have specific memory beyond the facts, but I wonder if Lucy’s family today feel differently today about what Ann Patchett wrote. Maybe not, but I wonder of Patchett was a place/person where they could direct their grief. I was just reminded about another book about grieving the loss of a friend. Gail Caldwell’s Let’s Take the Long Way Home.
Yes, I wondered about that too, that it was just bad timing because it was such a nice tribute. It did seem like a very special friendship indeed. Thanks for the Caldwell title. I’ll look it up.