Monday, January 7, 2008

The Middle Place Review and Giveaway


Have you ever sat down with a book and wished that you could be best friends with the main character? Me too.

In the case of "The Middle Place," though, the "character" is real. The book is a memoir by Kelly Corrigan and you will want to be her BFF after the first dozen pages.

Kelly is witty, down-to-earth and just plain real. You know that if you were with her, she would be the kind of person who is so secure that she has no problem revealing all her insecurities to you, if that makes any sense.

There were so many "me too" moments in the book. For example, one of my favorite lines, goes like this: "...pull on yesterday's yoga pants (I don’t actually do yoga)….."

See what I mean? Not only admitting that she wore the same pants the day before, but that she doesn't actually do yoga. It was instant platonic love for me!

Some other weird coincidences: her birthday is my son's birthday...August 16. Her father, her hero, is named George. My uncle, my hero, was named George. Her father had cancer, my uncle did, too.

Unfortunately, my uncle did not survive. But I vowed that, if my husband and I ever had another child, and it was a girl, I was going to name her Georgia after my uncle. The author named her first child Georgia after her father. Cue the Twilight Zone music!

You'll find yourself repeating her anecdotes to anyone who will listen. I retold the "Shifty the Snake" story to my kids (three different times...once for each child) and then to my husband, and I was still wanting to find someone else I could tell it to. It was that funny.

That story was yet another "me too" moment as I sort-of-on-accident killed my baby duck when I was a kid (long story).

Unfortunately, I could also relate to "The Middle Place" on a more serious level. The book details Kelly's battle against breast cancer, and her dealing with her father's prostate cancer as well.

Let me be up front in saying that, while I endured all of the first steps that Kelly did (up until her biopsy came back positive for cancer), my tumors ended up being benign. So I won't even claim to know what it's like to actually have cancer.

But as I read the beginning of Kelly's journey, I remembered that agonizing fear. She does such an amazing job of describing what those first steps are like for a woman.

And she does an even better job explaining what cancer is like. For her and her father. By the time you've finished the book, you'll wonder at the fact that not once did you ever feel truly down, or depressed in reading her story.

Kelly has a way of giving you the harsh reality, without making the book "heavy." She uplifts, encourages, and entertains, all with such a serious topic.

And I love the title of the book. "The Middle Place" is all about being a parent, and still being someones child. The love Kelly has for her father, "Greenie," is so clear that it seeps from the pages of her book into your own heart.

You'll find yourself rooting for both of them. And you won't be disappointed.

Note: "The Middle Place" has been chosen as a Booksense pick for January 2008. Booksense is the largest association of independent booksellers in the US. Also, The Middle Place will be profiled in O, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine's January issue, on newsstands now!

Want to win a copy of "The Middle Place?" Just leave a comment here to be entered. I'm giving away my ARC edition to one lucky winner. Deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m., Monday, January 14. Good luck!

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33 comments

HilLesha O'Nan said...

Count me in :)

melvynadam said...

Count me in. Why not share the "Shifty the Snake" story here too for those of us who might not win the book?

Brit said...

I just got done with the twlight series and now I need something that I can't put down! Count me in!

dodo said...

Sounds like a great read :)

danandmarsh said...

sounds like a good book to read, I like witty people!!
thanks

Bebemiqui said...

count me in!

Anonymous said...

I'm always looking for a new book!

Jennifer said...

This sounds like a good read! I'd love to win, so please count me in! Thanks for the chance to win!

Happy New Year to you & yours!

Jennifer :-)

squiresj said...

I am in the middle place in my family. I had never heard of this book but look forward to getting it and reading it. Count me in.
God Bless.

Taryn said...

I need a good book!

Tarasview said...

I am always up for a good book!

Anonymous said...

Im random! Pick me!

Christi S said...

This sounds awesome! Please enter me!! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a great book.
Le Anne
yardsaleprincess1@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Don't count me in as I am reviewing this book too.

Just wanted to let you know I blogged ya:

http://laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com/2008/01/monday-edition-of-contests-galore.html

Anonymous said...

I would love to win this book. I could share it with a good friend who is going through the breast cancer routine right now. Also, I dying to find out more about Shifty, the snake.

njones127 at tampabay dot rr dot com

Juliana said...

Yes I did see your comment. I am still trying to learn about how to use all this:) lol. I will be reading some of these:)

Angela said...

I would love to get a copy!

I blogged you :
http://www.prizeatron.com

A.C. said...

Sure! I'd enjoy this

Anonymous said...

Would love to check this out for our bookclub!

Anonymous said...

That sounds like a good read. I'd love to enter and win!

Anonymous said...

This book sounds great!

bison61 said...

sounds like a good book to read - please count me in!

phxbne said...

Even without the coincidences you have, it sounds interesting to me!

fyjules said...

This sounds interesting.

Katie B said...

This sounds like a great read!

Anonymous said...

Count me in!

aztekh at gmail.com

Linda SS said...

I would like to read this one...thanks for the chance to win. I'm so happy that your tumor was benign:)

Amanda said...

I need a new pretend BFF!

Anonymous said...

Hi All,

Just wanted to say hello and thank you for reviewing my book. Thrilled that the pages connected with you.

Kelly Corrigan
Author of The Middle Place

~Laura said...

This book instantly made me think of a friend of mine who is a cervical cancer survivor. My granmother died of lung cancer and it is just such a horrible disease. I would love to read the book to see anothers take on dealing with such illnesses.

Shama-Lama Mama said...

Sounds like a really good read. Please count me in! Thanks for the great giveaway!

ChristyJan said...

My Mom was diagnosed with both breast and ovarian cancer last March. She finished her chemo and started radiation treatments last week. This book sounds like something both she and I would benefit from reading.

hawkes AT citlink.net

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