ok, full disclosure. I am a fan of Mary-Louise Parker. And, while I am decidedly not a fan of celebrity fiction (especially picture books, but that is for another day), I do enjoy an occasional celebrity tell-all. Which, unfortunately, this was not. I say unfortunately not because I disliked the book, but because of the inordinate amount of time I spent on Google trying to identify the men in her letters. While Parker tells a lot, she most certainly does not tell all. Instead, she presents a coy set of letters, scarce with the details. I’m sure that if I had been more diligent with my People magazine subscription I would have had an easier time of it. Or, if I was a less curious person, I might have just enjoyed the letters as they were written, no cross-referencing events with timelines needed. Frankly, the letters should have been enough. But here’s the thing, I am not the best person when it comes to celebrities. I want to know, even if it is not my right.
Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is, in parts, charming, moving, devastating, and hilarious. Parker has a keen eye for the telling detail, and a wonderful sense of story. While I might still balk if she wrote a picture book, I would definitely read anything else she decided to write.
*Just a note - I received this as an ebook, but I listened to Parker read the audiobook version, which I also highly recommend.
10
