Title: Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl:Tales from an Allergic Life
Author: Sandra Beasley
Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: July 12, 2011
Hardcover: 240 pages
ISBN: 978-0307588111
Genre: Memoir
A snippet from the Publisher:
Like twelve million other Americans, Sandra Beasley suffers from food allergies. Her allergies—severe and lifelong—include dairy, egg, soy, beef, shrimp, pine nuts, cucumbers, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, swordfish, and mustard. Add to that mold, dust, grass and tree pollen, cigarette smoke, dogs, rabbits, horses, and wool, and it’s no wonder Sandra felt she had to live her life as “Allergy Girl.” When butter is deadly and eggs can make your throat swell shut, cupcakes and other treats of childhood are out of the question—and so Sandra’s mother used to warn guests against a toxic, frosting-tinged kiss with “Don’t kill the birthday girl!”
My Review:
Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life by Sandra Beasley is a poignant memoir of one person’s struggles and challenges growing up with and continuing to live with severe allergies. A very serious issue to say the least, Beasley does not make light of her list of potentially fatal allergies yet finds a wit to her writing style that not only helps readers understand what basic daily living is like in a world of severe allergies, but provides readers with a bit of her own sense of humour. Beasley takes her memoir out of the typical mold of sharing her life experiences and does something that, as a reader, I truly value; she educates. Severe allergies are not particularly familiar to me and although I know about the heightened awareness of them, I have never heard first-hand, from anyone I know, how everyday activities that most take for granted can create dilemmas or hazards for those afflicted. Beasley shares by anecdotes and using also fact-based explanations her life experiences; experiences that truly are difficult to understand for those not afflicted, but thanks to Beasley’s memoir, readers seeking a greater appreciation for severe allergies and the obstacles these allergies place along life’s path for some will find Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl to deliver. I encourage all readers to read Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl as I think it provides a well-written account of one woman’s struggles with an affliction generally not understood by most.
To learn more about author Sandra Beasley, please visit her website.
I received a complimentary arc of Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl by Sandra Beasley from Crown Publishers. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.
I really like the sound of this one. I’ll add this one to my wishlist.
I am pleased. I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I love memoirs, especially those that teach me something. This sounds like a must read to me.
Tis one was quite good. I cannot imagine having so many allergies and yet the author does not pity herself, but rather tells the reader what it was like/is like with charming wit. I do like how she educates the reader and offers helpful tools to those with severe allergies.
That’s terrific that the book educates, especially on a topic that I’m sure is easily misunderstood in the wider culture.
It really does and I gained a better perspective of what life would be like with such life threatening allergies.
I’ve read a couple memoirs lately focusing on health issues, with a truthful humorous twist. This sounds like a good read. Allergies make life so much harder.
I hope you give it a try, it is indeed an interesting, witty, and informative memoir.