Truth & Beauty: A Friendship

I had read Lucy Grealy's own book, Autobiography of a Face, and it was interesting to read about Grealy's life from the perspective of her best frient, Patchett. I did find it weird that, while Patchett writes that her relationship with Grealy was the most important one in her life, I don't believe Grealy even mentioned Patchett in her own autobigraphy. This book was beautifully written, and even though I know how it turns out [Grealy dies tragically, yet inevitably], I had to keep turning the pages to see how the story unfolded. I have one correction to one of the reviews above: Lucy Grealy did not die of cancer. Her cancer never returned. She actually became a heroin addict, and it it believed that her mixing drugs and alcohol ultimately caused her death. Thus, I have to wonder if that review even read the book, or whether they got the "cancer" story from an inaccurate blurb on the Internet. The topic of this book would lead one to believe it's a dull story of the friendship between two female writers; but for me, once I started reading, I could not put it down. I'd recommend it, especially as a nice change for people who usually read legal thrillers and romance novels.

This book simply blew me away. What I really loved about this book is that Patchett never once makes herself or Lucy out to be a hero -- she shows their weaknesses, and this reflects what a real, sustaining friendship is about. What's so compelling is how Ann greatly admired Lucy and loved her for reasons that couldn't fully be articulated (nor did they need to be). The writing is honest, clean, and straightforward as well as amazingly artistic. I'm honestly confused as to how anyone couldn't like this book, unless some readers don't want to face the truth: which is that all relationships are flawed but the way in which we choose to sustain them is how they survive.

I am the Neighbor Nancy - who lived next door to Ann and Lucy in the "ugly green duplex." Yes, it was ugly, too! I cherished this book. For those of you who felt Ann presented herself as saintly, you should look a little deeper. She was struggling herself and owns some mistakes rather openly (i.e., her marriage) but chooses not to dwell on them. That would have perhaps satisfied more of the reader's desire to learn more about Ann, but not kept on track with the goal of the book. Many of us have, in the course of one special relationship (or many, for that matter) given more or cared more than others thought we should. It can be difficult to explain why we do it. What may seem unique, or out-of-place to some, is that Ann doesn't seem to need to demonize Lucy in the telling. That some of the readers don't understand that may be a product of Lucy herself just as much as Ann's style of storytelling.Lucy and I created a song and dance routine of our own during rush week (just a short time after her arrival in Iowa City and moving in as my neighbor). Ann hadn't yet arrived. If you knew Lucy, you would understand how she could inspire an almost 30-year-old stranger/sociology grad student to sing and dance with abandon on the sidewalk. Lucy made me laugh. Ann touched my heart with kindness and the generosity of her spirit. This book inspired me to revisit my memories of many special relationships over the years. Thank you, Ann!