Title: Your Voice In My Head
Author: Emma Forrest
Publisher: Other Press
Publication Date: May 3, 2011
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN: 9978-1590514467
Genre: Memoir
Emma Forrest, a British journalist, was just twenty-two and living the fast life in New York City when she realized that her quirks had gone beyond eccentricity. In a cycle of loneliness, damaging relationships, and destructive behavior, she found herself in the chair of a slim, balding, and effortlessly optimistic psychiatrist—a man whose wisdom and humanity would wrench her from the dangerous tide after she tried to end her life. She was on the brink of drowning, but she was still working, still exploring, still writing, and she had also fallen deeply in love. One day, when Emma called to make an appointment with her psychiatrist, she found no one there. He had died, shockingly, at the age of fifty-three, leaving behind a young family. Reeling from the premature death of a man who had become her anchor after she turned up on his doorstep, she was adrift. And when her all-consuming romantic relationship also fell apart, Emma was forced to cling to the page for survival and regain her footing on her own terms.
A modern-day fairy tale, Your Voice in My Head is a stunning memoir, clear-eyed and shot through with wit. In her unique voice, Emma Forrest explores the highs and lows of love and the heartbreak of loss.
My Review:
Reviewing memoirs, for me, is the most difficult of genres to review and yet it is also one of my most favourite genres to read. While I was reading Your Voice In My Head by Emma Forrest I was emotionally touched by the raw and candid honesty of her writing. I was not mesmerised immediately, rather the book took me awhile to really get into and even then there were parts I cared little about. While I realise each section of this book is important to Forrest’s memoir, I felt as though there were two distinct books in this one memoir, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Dr. R. and would have definitely liked to have seen that explored more, however, this was not my memoir. What I truly was uninterested in were the sections about GH, yet those times were an integral part of Forrest’s life. Overall I enjoyed Your Voice In My Head and I am looking forward to reading other non-fiction works of Emma Forrest’s. Forrest is a talented writer and I would recommend Your Voice In My Head to readers who enjoy memoirs.
Emma Forrest is the author of three novels and editor of the nonfiction essay collection Damage Control. Raised in London, she now lives in Los Angeles, where she is a screenwriter.
I love memoirs too, so I’m making a note of this title.
I adore memoirs.
I have such a hard time reading memoirs because I want there to be happy endings for the “characters” I fall in love with, but life isn’t always fair. But this sounds interesting, thanks for sharing!
My teaser this week is from Furies Of Calderon
Obviously my comment was supposed to be on your teaser from the book, not the review–sorry!
Not a problem at all.
I adore memoirs, but they can be tricky to review.
I like memoirs, too. I’ll give this a look.
Do let me know what you think of it.
Loved this book, even though I usually hate memoirs. Not as narcisstic as usual memoirs and I laughed out loud at times. Marvelous writer, not to be missed.
I usually enjoy memoirs. I am pleased to hear you enjoyed this one.