Jeanette Winterson: "...like all children, adopted or not, I have had to live out some of her unlived life."

So, I know I haven't written in awhile. Since the last time (October, apparently) I've read quite a few books. I just haven't found the time to write about them. Hopefully I'll start making time to post a bit more! However, I say that almost every time I start again, and I usually get too busy. We'll see.

Anyway, onto the book! Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? (Amazon) by Jeanette Winterson is a memoir, which is a change of pace from my usual books. Jeanette Winterson was adopted by a Pentecoastal family. Her story is not a very happy one-her adoptive mother was a religious zealot whose behavior became worse once Jeanette revealed she was a lesbian. Jeanette Winterson also wrote Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, which the inside cover of Why Be Happy When You Could be Normal? claims is "considered one of the most important books of contemporary fiction." However, I've never read or heard of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit (oops).

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal is a very interesting read. It can get a bit intense at points, but I think the overall journey is worth it. It's definitely interesting to see a different take on adoption-often adoptive parents are glorified as amazing, perfect people. It rarely occurs to people that an abusive person might want to adopt a child.

Jeanette Winterson has a small feedback form on her site, so I left her a note:

"I just wanted to let you know that I recently read Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? and I really enjoyed it. You have a wonderful writing style and your story is very inspirational. Thank you for sharing it with the world!"

Anyway, that's all for now. We'll see if I manage to post more consistently.