a book review :: driving with dead people

My friend, S, let me borrow this book when I saw her while visiting Seattle. When I started reading Driving with Dead People, I thought it was going to be like Six Feet Under, but maybe darker. I had no idea how dark it would get and finished the book on the second night, staying up until dawn. I actually sobbed during parts of it, but I can't exactly explain why.

The book is the memoir of Monica Holloway, although there is a disclaimer in the 'Note to the Reader', stating that some of characters may be composites. I suspect this may now be required after the fiasco that was A Million Little Pieces. In some ways I hope that this is the case, although part of me wishes the author made this book up, because who would want anyone to go through what she wrote.

Monica is the youngest of four siblings, and both her mother and her father tell her that she was a mistake - they only wanted three children. That right there, might make it hard for most people to cope, but despite it all, Monica strives to make the best of her situation.

One of the father's hobbies is taking photographs and movies of accidents and bad weather. There is a great scene where he takes all four kids out to watch a tornado. When the kids don't think it is as fun as their dad does, he calls them wimps, gets them back in the car and drops them home so he can continue on his quest.

The title of the book comes from Monica's obsession with an eight-year old girl who dies when Monica is also eight. They didn't know each other, but Monica lies and gets her grandmother to take her to the viewing. Later, she meets and befriends the undertakers daughter, which eventually leads to the two of them (many years later) picking up (out of town) dead bodies at the airport.

If you like gut wrenching memoirs (think Running with Scissors and The Glass Castle), you will probably enjoy this one too. Sometimes I guess it does help to know that there are people who had it worse than you.


on the night stand :: Horns & Wrinkles