I had the pleasure of meeting Jacqueline Masumian at our library a couple of weeks before reading this beautiful memoir. She is a lovely and very interesting person, one that I felt I could be friends with if she lived close by.
Jacque's childhood was unusual, to say the least, and haphazard, to be perfectly honest. Her parents divorced at a time when divorce was uncommon, leaving her mother, Jean, depressed and adrift in a world where she no longer fit the acceptable mold. Thanks to Jean's affluent parents, she was able to house and feed her family, which included her own 4 children (Jacque is the second youngest) and her deceased sister's two daughters. Her mother's mood swings and drinking, erratic behavior, and apparent lack of affection for Jacque and her siblings created a difficult atmosphere in which to grow up. One of the most shocking anecdotes in the book is Jean allowing her children's 18-year-old babysitter to take Jacque, age 12 and insistent that she was too young to date, out for the evening. The young man showed up at the front door with a pair of 4" stiletto heels for Jacque to wear on their "date." Jean's inability to realize the inappropriateness of this situation and to notice her daughter's discomfort illustrates the difficulties Jacque and her family faced throughout their formative years,
This memoir is filled with sadness, but also with humor. A reflection on a turbulent childhood viewed from an mature perspective, Jacque's story is eloquently worded and thoughtfully composed, It was a pleasure to read.
No comments:
Post a Comment