Legends of the Plastic Chairs

I love this book. It truly is amazing and inspiring. I have read a plethora of self help, self discovery and inspirational books. None have touched me so deeply. This book belongs next to "A Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls. Patricia gives us an internal view and insight into her extraordinarily intense upbringing, along with the amazing guidance she received. Her courage, her strength, her innocence and spirit to persevere are beautiful. Coming from a family with a history of mental illness myself I found great strength, understanding and a new way to view my own experience. This book helped me more than all my years of therapy in trying to understand what I myself had witnessed and experienced. Patricia's voice is one that will help many find their way to their own knowing and their truest self. Do yourself a favor and read this book. It will touch your heart and your spirit, I promise. I look forward to more amazing insights from Patricia down the road. : > patty

Sometimes the sum of your life hits you in the most random of places. For Patricia Curtis, it was sitting in a plastic chair gazing out into the Pacific Ocean, and it compelled her to write her life's story in "Legends of the Plastic Chairs". Reflecting on her life and with the encouraging suggestion that any type of dysfunction can eventually be overcome and turned into a happy and successful life, and that conquering ones emotional scars can be an exciting and relieving experience. With a strange cast of characters infesting her life, "Legend of the Plastic Chairs" is highly recommended to community library memoir shelves and to anyone who wants a view of another's life in overcoming the odds.

I read the whole book in a day. My favorite quote from the voice was, "It is not so much what you say or do that has the greatest influence on others, but who you are in the radiance of your own personal presence---the spirit you carry within you." This is such a profound statement that is similar to my own personal philosophies in my discovery of who I am. I know this voice resides inside me as well. It is everything that helps me reach contentment. This book has impacted me dearly. Thank you for being an inspiration in my life!

Being raised the daughter of a mentally ill mother and an abusive alcoholic father wasn't easy. Patricia Curtis' cleverly named "Legends of the Plastic Chairs" lays open her tragic childhood rife with abuse and disturbing images from the world of schizophrenia and manic depression. Yet, she masterfully tells her story of growing up the middle child in an extremely dysfunction family without judgment or self-pity, allowing her life to reflect the perfect metaphor for overcoming any type of dysfunction. The book begins with an epiphany Curtis experiences on a Hawaiian beach. Her story unfolds through a highly inventive method of character interplay including a crazy woman, a misogynist, three sisters, a Voice, a church, three children, two ex-husbands, a white-haired old man, and two white plastic chairs. Sequential storyline vignettes hurl the reader non-stop through 204 riveting pages, culminating in a celebration of joy - the victorious return to self. "Legends of the Plastic Chairs" is a journey into the heart's core. It is the story of the indomitable human spirit and the voice within each person that calls us back to rediscovering the joy of who we really are. Through this voice, Curtis shows how conquering one's emotional scars is not only possible, it can be fun. Learn more about the interesting cast of characters in Curtis' "Legends of the Plastic Chairs" on the author's website (which they won't let me type here). So, use the familiar "www." and then "PatriciaCurtis" with the common ending of ".com".

I began reading this book and could not put it down, nor wanted it to end! To read the things that Patricia went through in her life and then the steps she took to self discovery was amazing, and a great lesson to all. I was truly inspired, and plan on giving a copy of this book to my children for Chrismas. I recommend Legends of the Plastic Chairs to anyone who is on a path to self discovery or self recovery, as well as anyone looking for a very enjoyable read. It's one of the best books I've read this year!