Title: What I Thought I Knew
Author: Alice Eve Cohen
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); 1 edition
Publication Date: May 25, 2010
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN: 978-0143117650
Genre: Memoir
Alice Cohen was happy for the first time in years. After a difficult divorce, she had a new love in her life, she was raising a beloved adopted daughter, and her career was blossoming. Then she started experiencing mysterious symptoms. After months of tests, x-rays, and inconclusive diagnoses, Alice underwent a CAT scan that revealed the truth: she was six months pregnant.
At age forty-four, with no prenatal care and no insurance coverage for a high-risk pregnancy, Alice was besieged by opinions from doctors and friends about what was ethical, what was loving, what was right. With the intimacy of a diary and the suspense of a thriller, What I Thought I Knew is a ruefully funny, wickedly candid tale; a story of hope and renewal that turns all of the “knowns” upside down.
My Review:
Beautiful, at times heart-breaking, and at all times human, What I Thought I Knew by Alice Eve Cohen is a deeply intense memoir filled with truth, honesty, and raw emotion that quickly draws the reader into the book and holds one’s attention until the very last word. Cohen has a refreshingly honest and witty approach to her memoir, which is filled with some rather deep and emotional material. While the book is a quick read, it is one to think about and as much as I would like to go into detail, it would give too much of Cohen’s story away. What I Thought I Knew is written in an almost suspenseful manner and I was unable to set the book down. My only regret was that I did not have anyone to discuss the events of the book with. I have always been a memoir fan, but there is something special about the manner in which Cohen writes her book. It is not the typical memoir therefore I would recommend What I Thought I Knew to everyone, even those who may not care for memoirs since this one is written in a much different format. I do believe What I Thought I Knew would make an excellent discussion group selection.
Alice Eve Cohen is a playwright, solo theater artist, and memoirist. She has written for Nickelodeon and PBS and received fellowships and grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. She teaches at The New School in New York City.
I received a complimentary copy of What I Thought I Knew by Alice Eve Cohen from BookSparks PR. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.
I thought this book was fantastic, but have to tell you, I wanted to throttle a few doctors as I read it.
Yes, it is one reason I think this would be a wonderful discussion book.
I just skimmed your review as I’m waiting on my copy of this book, can’t wait!
Let me know how you enjoy the book, I really liked it.