I Know This Much is True: A Book Review

One of the things that really had me do some deep intellectual, emotional and spiritual digging last month was "reading" (on CD, in my car, on the way to work) a book by Wally Lamb titled "I Know This Much Is True". Probably for reasons close to my heart, I cried at portions of nearly every chapter of the first two-thirds of the book. This is a book about a man's experience growing up with his schizophrenic twin brother. The story crisscrosses through their childhood on into a heartbreaking adulthood. The book grapples with issues of love, identity, family, and devotion. While some may find the story excessively long, with too much exploration of character details - I found it refreshing and realistic. At least until nearly the end I could hardly believe it wasn't a true story. For anyone that has ever loved someone they felt helpless to help, or believes in the importance of self-reflection and the strength of forgiveness (including self-forgiveness), this story is for you. After all the sad parts, the book felt refreshingly cathartic. It reminded me that even the people we see as monsters have likely done their own share of suffering and anyone can change for the better if they try.

You can find this book on Amazon if you wish to purchase a copy: I Know This Much is True
I borrowed a copy on CD from my local library since the paperback I have owned for ten years has mostly been collecting dust...

A final thought I was reminded of after finishing the book, was the best lesson I have ever learned, and the best gift I have ever received from my parents - the power of unconditional love. A few weeks ago my Dad had a cancer scare. To my great, though cautious, relief it turned out he has some non-cancerous cysts that need to be treated. Nonetheless, the quickly bubbling downward spiral of scared and anxious thoughts in my head lead me to review all the wonderful times my Dad and I have spent together and all the sweet and hilarious things he has ever said. One example is the out-of-nowhere diner conversation in my college years in which he mentioned that he was considering shutting off his cable subscription and "would I want the extra $30 a month to purchase birth control?". My parents have never really judged my life decisions and I am lucky that they have provided moral support at every step of the journey. My Dad used to call me in college to see how things were going and I could hear the worry in his voice that I might struggle, I might not make it... He would always say, "Don't procrastinate - the most important thing is to get your work done on time so you never have to make excuses." I may have finished my degrees... I'm still working on learning to stop procrastinating. At least I can always think back to this sage advice.