Skip to main content

Book Review: This Is Not The Story You Think It Is by Laura Munson

photocredit

I've been on a memoir kick, lately, it would appear. This book is the story behind one of the craziest Love articles ever to grace the New York Times newspaper, Those Aren't Fighting Words, Dear by Laura Munson.

If you get bored reading this book review, and it doesn't sound like one you'd like, please Please PLEASE read the article. It's only two pages and it's one of the best pieces I've ever read on the topic of marital _____ (crap, arguments, stress, crisis, fill in the blank). After reading the article, I suggested my local library buy a couple copies, "and don't forget, put me at the top of the list!". Within a few weeks I had the book, within a few days I was done.

Anyway.

Back to the review.

At just over 300 pages, Munson draws you in easily with her casual and funny conversation style writing, describing her background as it pertains to this small (and I'm sure, seemingly never-ending) 6 month chunk in her life. She tells you about her and his (husband's) backgrounds, dreams, hopes, fears, and eventual fallout period.

The things that man said to her. OOO-eeee!

The things that man put her though. My goodness.

It's a quick read, and I found myself over the 5 days it took me to read it, always wanting to sit down and read it. That's a good book. The story takes place from early summer through Thanksgiving evening. She is a very good writer and even the setting (Montana) and every day activities (horse-back riding) I found interesting.

Although this story is about choosing not to suffer in the midst of crisis, it really is a testament to her faith that she had that the story would turn out, if she just rode the tide. I found her grocery-cart mantras very confusing and distracting (i.e. naming different faiths & beliefs at every corner), but other than those few snippets, I really liked the book and would recommend it to people who like memoirs, or stories with a happy ending.

If nothing else, please go read her article!

The dedication (first to her husband) puts it well, in a summary, " The map's no good without the territory. We always said we wanted adventure...I love you".
*
What are you reading lately?

Comments

kylee said…
Excellent article! Just ordered this book on Amazon and I can't wait to read it!!

Popular posts from this blog

Home School Activities: Board Games We Love

My children have recently become enthralled in the world of board games. I was never a board game player. Sure, I remember long summer hours (days? it seemed like it..) spent around a Monopoly board, but I was never one to suggest to get out the cards, or a game. As my children have grown and they are now able to do activities with me, I started noticing that they really took to puzzles (when done all together) and the one or two board games I happened to have kept in the storage room. They were always asking to play Candy Land and so I figured I should branch off a bit. Over the course of the last year, I have found GREAT games, even ones that I love to play alongside them. The amount of 'teaching' they have gotten through games is jaw-dropping. Counting, team-playing, math related patterning, are just some of the skills I've watched develop. I asked before Christmas on facebook what my friends and their own kids loved and I was thrilled with the response. We have found ov...

Home School Resources: Links we Love

Source: ladyanndeborja.tumblr.com via Sarah on Pinterest Today I'm just sharing a list of my favorite go-to resources for home schooling. It's a list of where I find games, books, crafts, and fresh inspiration. Also included are articles I've loved about home schooling. One of my favorite websites about homeschooling, updated daily, is Simple Homeschool . It's a shoot off branch of SimpleKids & SimpleMoms, and they often have great giveaways, advice, and have concise and interesting topics. A friend recently guided me to World Book Online to find the general requirements of each grade. At the curriculum fair I went to in April, I remembered two vendors that I want to revisit if they return. One was Hepner's Legacy and the other was Miller's Pads and Papers (don't be fooled by the poor websites, they have great products at good prices). TED Talks . Go. Watch. Now. All of them. Awesome. Even if home schooling is a laughable topic to you, you're ...

How To: DIY Sand/Water Table

How To: Build A Sand/Water Table for Under $30 ! Sorry this took me so long to blog, but I had to have a tool list and full instructions before I could do so. A little history on my love for the sand/water table . I love the idea behind tools for tiny hands, i.e. the Montessori Method , and like to have Lukka 'figure things out for himself', even when he is playing. I try to have the most simple and basic toys available for 3 reasons: a) simple toys generally have less parts, which means less of a hassle for me b) simple toys inspire way more creativity and imagination than do 'exact replica' toys c) they are much more aesthetically pleasing to look at, therefore, not making every nook and cranny of our house an eyesore! I know the last reason is just for me, but it's true. Plastic things don't generally last 1/2 as long as wooden or fabric toys, and they are unattractive. For this reason, I started to look for a wooden sand/water table as opposed to a pl...