I don’t often go out on a limb to recommend a book before finishing it. But today, after listening to a quarter of My Reading Life, narrated by it’s author, I give it two thumbs up. As a mom, a teacher, an avid reader, a writer, and too broke to take a long vacation this year, My Reading Life resonates with me. Here’s what I like so far:
- Conroy’s loving tribute to his mother paints the picture of an extraordinary woman. She wasn’t able to attend college, but furthered her education by reading constantly. She taught him to love books, and their family’s story shows the great influence parents have on their children’s reading lives.
- His English teacher also profoundly influenced Conroy’s career choice and evolved into a life long friendship. For tired, discouraged teachers who doubt the difference they can make in the lives of young people, this real life story will restore hope. I’ve been out of teaching for seven years now, and Conroy’s words reminded me of the nobility inherent in serving children.
- Conroy’s love of literature, words, and writing echoes my own leanings. After an entire lifetime of being considered strange for preferring reading and savoring beautiful words over recess, gym class, Girl Scout hikes, kick ball, horse back riding, and other non-verbal pursuits, I have discovered a kindred spirit.
- He has read widely and drops titles like flower petals on the pages. The bad news is that my reading list is getting longer with each chapter read. The good news is that the stack of books on my nightstand will soon glitter with tried and tested literary gems.
- This memoir makes me want to read more of Conroy’s work. So far, South of Broad has been my only foray into his world, but it won’t be my last. With the price of gas rising daily, reading my way through his novels this summer will be an affordable journey south.
Unless something changes on the way through the remaining two-thirds of A Reading Life, this audio rendition will compel the ownership of a print copy. Like Madeleine L’Engle’s Walking on Water, this book demands the underlining of key phrases, Post-it flags to mark passages that resonate, exclamation marks in the margins, and a list of must-read books gleaned from its pages and jotted down on the inside front cover. So when I finish listening to My Reading Life, I will give it the active rereading it deserves, something I don’t have time for very often these days.
In my book, that’s the highest compliment there is.
