A poignant and humorous memoir about sorting through twenty-three rooms of a family home following the death of elderly parents. Explore the transformative power of objects in unearthing family secrets and reconciling complex parent-child relationships. Plum Johnson's award-winning memoir details the daunting task of emptying a family home bulging with decades of history. Through sifting through "everything" left behind, she discovers a new understanding of her parents and herself.
Specifications
Key Features
The Emotional Weight of Belongings: Follow the sixteen-month journey of cataloging 23 rooms filled with antiques, letters, and mementos.
A Universal Story of Grief: Relatable for anyone who has faced the loss of a parent and the bittersweet task of dismantling their life's collection.
Reconciling the Past: Discover how physical items, like old letters, serve as touchstones for understanding a "cantankerous" mother and a "senile" father.
Witty and Humorous Perspective: Written with a blend of warmth and gallows humor that lightens the heavy themes of mourning and family duty.
Award-Winning Non-Fiction: Recognized as the winner of the prestigious RBC Taylor Prize for non-fiction.