Rating: 
Summary: The Evolution of a Writer . . .
Review: A. Manette Ansay has been a favorite of mine since her first published novel "Vinegar Hill"; she's one of those authors that you buy in hardcover because you can't wait for the paperback. Her most recent novel "Midnight Champagne" was so good that it begs to be savored over and over again.So when I saw that she had written her memoir I was anxious to read about this young writer that I so admire. Now that I have read it I have even MORE for which to admire her. The descriptions of her phisical dibilitation are heart breaking...but at the same time her spirit is uplifting; her talent is daunting. I especially appreciate her description of losing her Catholic faith. I went through the same gamut of emotions - panic and peace - when I lost mine. Everything she writes strikes true. I will be the first in line for her next work.
Rating:
Summary: Ansay's memoir is as Beautifully Written as Her Novels!
Review: A. Manette Ansay has been a favorite of mine since her first published novel "Vinegar Hill"; she's one of those authors that you buy in hardcover because you can't wait for the paperback. Her most recent novel "Midnight Champagne" was so good that it begs to be savored over and over again. So when I saw that she had written her memoir I was anxious to read about this young writer that I so admire. Now that I have read it I have even MORE for which to admire her. The descriptions of her phisical dibilitation are heart breaking...but at the same time her spirit is uplifting; her talent is daunting. I especially appreciate her description of losing her Catholic faith. I went through the same gamut of emotions - panic and peace - when I lost mine. Everything she writes strikes true. I will be the first in line for her next work.
Rating:
Summary: I devoured this book in two short reads
Review: Ansay has a gift for painting a scene complete with sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. She gracefully unfolds the moments of her life so that you don't just an observe, but rather, you experience. From reading you learn to appreciate what it means and what it feels like to have faith, question faith, lose faith, and find it again in new forms. And she does it all without preaching. A very honest work and well worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: I devoured this book in two short reads
Review: Ansay has a gift for painting a scene complete with sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. She gracefully unfolds the moments of her life so that you don't just an observe, but rather, you experience. From reading you learn to appreciate what it means and what it feels like to have faith, question faith, lose faith, and find it again in new forms. And she does it all without preaching. A very honest work and well worth the read.
Rating: 
Summary: Atypical Memoir
Review: I enjoyed this book, for the most part. Ansay is best when she addresses her disease. This is an atypical memoir, as most memoirs concerning diseases have the following pattern: I was healthy; I became ill with a specific disease (or addicted, alcoholic, etc.); I recovered. Ansay is courageous in showing us a less "hopeful" situation. To this day, she does not have a specific diagnosis of her affliction, and not only has she not recovered, she is realistic in revealing that she may never recover. She writes about what her day-to-day life is like, and that it may never change. She also honestly writes about peoples' different reactions to her in a wheelchair; many had the gall to ask what was wrong, and others were wondering what she must have done "wrong" in a past life "to deserve this"! No one would just let her have the disease, plain and simple, and go on with her life. She shows that she is more than her disease; she is a sensitive, open writer. As other critics have noted (Sontag, etc), for some reason, our society demands that illness must have meaning. Ansay is explaining, in this memoir, that it just is what it is.
Rating:
Summary: The Evolution of a Writer . . .
Review: I hated Vinegar Hill. I thought the best thing about that book was the title, which precisely depicted the content. Ansay's Midnight Champagne, however, was completely different. Rather than bitterness and strife, it was a meandering short story full of insight, surprises, and delicious writing. It's a "keeper." Limbo, too, is one of those books that makes you think twice before you loan it to a friend. Because the book is so good, you worry you might never get it back. Ansay's life is inspiring. Her writing is flawless. And her transitional journey from a concert pianist to a critically acclaimed writer is enlightening. To paraphrase her very words -- Ansay takes us to another country -- and helps us understand its language and its customs. I couldn't put this book down, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in writing, music, or learning more about this talented and gifted writer.
Rating:
Summary: an interesting person
Review: i very much enjoyed reading this book.ansay is a beautiful writer although there are a few times where it seems she is trying too hard,and it doesn't flow as well.they probably just stand out in contrast to the rest of the prose,however.the people and places she talks about really come alive. i can relate to a lot of the catholic upbringing,though her experience of it was more intense than mine.the conclusions she comes to at the end of the book are not for the philosophically naive,and are reminiscent of much of eastern philosophy. however,i think there are more chapters to follow,and i hope someday she will write another installment as her life unfolds further.
Rating:
Summary: Breath-taking!
Review: Like another reviewer before me, I have been a huge fan of Manette Ansay's fiction for years. I was first sucked in with her amazing and honest novel "Sister" (it brought me to tears several times, including on a Peter Pan bus from Boston to Springfield--thankfully I was travelling alone), and then I proceeded to read everything she published before and since. When I read that she had published a memoir about becoming a writer, I was incredibly excited and waited in anticipation to read it. Ansay does not disappoint. In fact, this incredible, emotional, poignant (oh, I could pour on the adjectives--there are so many wonderful facets to this book--but how hard it is to find the right words to describe EXACTLY how I felt reading it) reaffirmed my love of this author's work. The book is intensely personal, which is how her fiction feels when you read it--one of the reasons why I have enjoyed her novels so much. She has a gift for capturing the details of a memory that can transport you to a time and place in her life so that you feel you were there with her, knew the people she knew. And what an incredible life journey she has had, continues to have. Manette Ansay articulates to perfection the passing thoughts and feelings and events that happen in life. Her voice is genuine and sincere. This is one of those books that just grabs you and does not let go. Part of me wanted to read more slowly and savor the writing, while the other part just could not stop racing along, so intent was I on finding out "what happened next", how she felt, what she thought. Yes, this is a work of non-fiction, but it is REAL in many ways, not just factually. It resonates in the heart, in the mind, long after you close the book. The book jacket promises that Manette Ansay is working on another novel--and I can barely wait.
Rating:
Summary: lyrical and dispassionate
Review: Since writing my own memoir, BABY CATCHER: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife (Scribner 2002), I have been studying the style of other memorists. I found Ansay's prose lyrical, mesmerizing, and almost poetic throughout this beautiful book. To be able to write about her losses as a result of a still-mysterious illness similar to MS, with calmness and lack of hyperbole, is admirable and enviable. From the very beginning you know this story doesn't have a happy outcome, but at no time did I feel depressed. On some level, I rejoiced for this author, for her own successes and insight and hope and the joy in small gains, small triumphs over her difficulties. Limbo is a love story, an admirable one. I wish this author lived next door to me. I would sit at her feet in awe and bake her cookies and bread at every opportunity. May she continue to write and write and write.
Rating: 
Summary: perspective
Review: The author gives an important perspective on chronic, undiagnosed pain. As in _Vinegar Hill_ , her knowledge of Catholism is incorrect.
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