I Am I Am I Am by Maggie O'Farrell

 

In this memoir, novelist Maggie O'Farrell tells the story of times that she has faced death in her life.  She was never an easy child; always determined to have her own way and desperate to find a way out of her small town life.  She travels the world, often alone, and with that courage and determination to lead an adventurous life comes danger at times.

The book opens with O'Farrell's encounter with a man on a lonely path.  She was working in a hotel and had gone for a walk on her break.  She noticed the man at the start of her walk and nodded hello.  Then later, suddenly, there he was, standing in her path and denying her the ability to move forward.  He put a strap around her neck and his intent seemed clear but she was able to talk to him and get away.  Later another girl was killed in the same location and the same method.

This is one of the more dramatic episodes she has encountered but hardly the last.  She writes of almost being run over by cars, of being accosted in a robbery, of health issues that almost claimed a life.  She got a virus in childhood that left her paralyzed for months with doctors saying she would never walk again.  She had miscarriages that robbed her of longed for children.  Her daughter has the kind of allergies that can take her from her family in a moment if she is even exposed to food that was cooked in a pan or with utensils that were earlier used to cook food she is allergic to. 

From all these disasters, O'Farrell emerges determined to continue to live life on her own terms and unafraid although cognizant of life's dangers.  Her writing makes it clear that what she values most in life are her family, her husband and children.  She is compelled to write and the world is a better place for that.  I finished this book in awe of her determination and courage.  This book is recommended for readers of memoirs and those interested in authors and their lives.