The opening stories of this memoir had me hooked immediately. The book is written in essays which have quirky titles such as Turtles, Turtles, Turtles, Homesick and Spinning, and The Six Stages of Finding Out You Have High Cholesterol.
The book reminded me of Maggie O’Farrell’s I Am, I Am, I Am and Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. I’ve heard Philpott compared with Laurie Colwin’s writing as well, and I also hope to read her book Home Cooking soon.
Philpott tackles some of the big existential questions about life and death and fear in her everyday stories about her family. These are stories filled with some tough stuff but also humour and hope. She rightly declares that all of the parts of our lives are “the uncertain parts.” That just about sums up the human condition. The essays are short and varied and I found them relatable and thought provoking.
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