MY SISTER FROM THE BLACK LAGOON : A Novel of My Life

Rating:
Summary: Worth a look, but not what it could've been
Review: Fox caught my attention with the first line of this novel, as she writes that "I was born into a mentally ill family. My sister was the officially crazy one, but really we were all nuts." This statement is simple on the surface, and yet it speaks to the overall impact on a family system when one person has an illness, be it mental or physical. In the first part of the book, she keeps a clear, steady focus on the Person family, and it works beautifully. I started to get a sense of knowing not only Lorna, but the whole family.

Even in the second and third parts of the book, the writing is still top quality. Fox has a clear narrative voice, and some of the prose is as poignant and heartbreaking as any I've read. Lorna is a delightful blend of innocent and cynic. She's smart, she's insecure, she's funny, she's brave, she's cowardly - she's human, and on some level, all of us, even if we've left our adolescence and can't remember that far back, can still feel an echo of recognition in reading her story. Despite that, the pacing drops off so much in the middle part of the book that the reader is pulled out of the story. It seemed like Fox was being careful to not portray anyone (specifically Lonnie and her parents) in a negative light. Rather than risk casting such a shadow over the rest of Lorna's family, Fox simply pulls them out of the book for a key period in Lorna's life. The book devolved from a compelling tale about the nature of family, love, sisterhood, and mental illness into a standard insecure teen girl comes of age tale.

Despite what seems to be a low mark, and some serious criticisms, this is still a worthwhile book to read, simply to experience the depth of Fox's adroit use of the English language. Just don't read it expecting to learn a great deal about mental illness. I'm glad I bought it used.

Rating:
Summary: Deeply moving
Review: Laurie Fox's amazing saga of an intelligent, lost little girl struggling to find her place in a world that for her is a crazy, at times scary, blazingly turbluent place, is a honest, loving, funny, and entertaining piece of literature. We see the character of Lorna Person from a very young age up into her 20s and are given witness to the confusion of her life. Born into a family where the star is her full of rage sister Lonnie and to parents who at times have nothing left to give her, Lorna quickly finds a voice for herself in her arts: poetry and acting-all tools of her intensely active and creative imagination. Plagued with the guilt of being the 'sane' sister and desperate for some normalcy in her life-she uses her imagination to dream up new roles and perfect families, drawing endless 'perfect families' in her little book. You watch, as she grows up into a blossoming actress-watch for an entertaining "Wizard of Oz" section-and as she grows into a strong, self-reliant adult. You watch as she searches for herself, finally finding the peace she craves when her sister gives her the secrets to her universe. Fox's prose is beautiful and poetical, but also startlingly real, interesting, gripping and quickly paced, it's hard not to become involved in Lorna's world and it's very hard to put this book down. I also picked this novel up on a whim and am so glad that I did! I laughed, cried, and dreamed right along with Lorna and her crazy family and enjoyed every minute of it. I will definitely be looking for more from Laurie Fox.

Rating:
Summary: Exquisitely written and unflaggingly honest
Review: This is an exceptional book that I believe has been underappreciated. It is trenchantly observed, exquisitely written and unflaggingly honest. Bravely honest. Fox's skills and gifts of observation, memory, imagination, and storytelling are formidable. I am not usually a fan of memoir, and frankly read women's books only rarely, but this was not just her story. It was an invaluable description of growing up. The chapter "Normal" should be in The New Yorker or Harper's. It and her writing throughout are just lovingly and skillfully crafted. The ending touches down like a feather. This is a first-rate, important book that people should know about.