Much Ado News http://www.muchadonews.com Sat, 08 Jan 2011 06:43:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Breaking Night http://www.muchadonews.com/283/book-reviews/ http://www.muchadonews.com/283/book-reviews/#comments Fri, 07 Jan 2011 07:36:08 +0000 admin http://www.muchadonews.com/?p=283

Every once in awhile, a book is published that eloquently depicts the emotional toll and devastating impact that parental drug addiction and poverty have on its most powerless victims — children. In "Breaking . . . → Read More: Breaking Night]]> BOOKS — Recommended Reading

"Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, And My Journey From Homeless to Harvard"

By Liz Murray
(Hyperion, $24.99)
Reviewed by Rose McAllister Croke

Every once in awhile, a book is published that eloquently depicts the emotional toll and devastating impact that parental drug addiction and poverty have on its most powerless victims — children. In "Breaking Night," first-time author Liz Murray recounts her hardscrabble journey from homelessness to Harvard with unflinching detail in this beautifully written, emotionally raw memoir.

Growing up on University Avenue in the Bronx, Liz received an early education on the devastating impact of drugs, describing them as "a wrecking ball tearing through our family." She realized at a tender age that her loving yet cocaine-addicted parents were unequipped to be the parents that she and her older sister, Lisa, wanted and needed them to be; so, they learned to fend for themselves. At the age of 9, Liz was the only one in her apartment who could hold down a job. She pumped gas and bagged groceries at the local supermarket. Whatever tips she made went toward food and her parents’ drug supply.
After her mother died of AIDS when she was 16, Liz had an epiphany: She was capable of carving out a life for herself that was in no way limited by what had occurred in her past. She returned to school, studying round the clock in tenement stairwells, dimly lit hallways and near-empty subway cars.
"Breaking night" is urban slang for staying up through the night until the sun rises, which is what Liz did in order to study and squeeze four years of high school into two. While homeless, Liz graduated high school, won a New York Times scholarship and was accepted into Harvard University.
Liz Murray’s extraordinary story of survival and forgiveness is a stellar example that it is possible to rise above impoverished circumstances and prevail, despite all imaginable odds. Her courageous story speaks for itself. Her triumph and tenacious determination speaks to us all.

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.


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]]> http://www.muchadonews.com/283/book-reviews/feed/ 0 The Big Skinny http://www.muchadonews.com/250/book-reviews/ http://www.muchadonews.com/250/book-reviews/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:22:00 +0000 admin http://www.muchadonews.com/?p=250 “The Big Skinny” is somewhat unusual for a “diet book.” First, and most obviously, it’s in comic format. Graphic novel memoirs are nothing new, but Lay’s is a particularly accessible example of the genre, since she’s a laid-back, relatable writer . . . → Read More: The Big Skinny]]> BOOKS — Recommended Reading

“The Big Skinny: How I Changed My Fattitude”

by Carol Lay
(Villard, $18)
Reviewed by Ealish Waddell

“The Big Skinny” is somewhat unusual for a “diet book.” First, and most obviously, it’s in comic format. Graphic novel memoirs are nothing new, but Lay’s is a particularly accessible example of the genre, since she’s a laid-back, relatable writer and her art is clear and enjoyable. She uses the comic format to present her own story naturally in a series of vignettes, which often anticipate exactly what questions the reader might have, and answer them before moving on.

Second, Lay’s method of weight loss is decidedly old-fashioned: She counts calories and she works out. The most radical aspect of her diet is her strictness in adhering to it — like buying a single piece of candy from the grocery store’s bulk bin — but the diet itself is nothing weird, just a healthy, fresh-plant-heavy menu combined with regular exercise. As she says, simply, “It works.” In the realm of gimmicky tricks and miracle pills, her candor and common sense is refreshing.

Finally, Lay’s main focus is not so much on the period of losing weight as on the aftermath. She recognizes, wisely, that keeping the weight off can be just as difficult, if not more so, as losing it in the first place. Lay talks about determinedly following food rules and exercise plans, but also about changing her mindset to WANT to do these things, taking on the challenge of integrating them into her everyday world. Sure, there are down days, but Lay asserts that the benefits of looking and feeling great far outweigh missing out on a few desserts.

For Lay, the key to healthy, effective weight loss was simply a matter of firmly taking responsibility for herself and her choices. That message bursts from the pages of this frank, funny book, and it’s a good one for readers to take to heart in their own weight-loss struggles — or, for that matter, in any other aspect of life.

(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.


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