Lifesaving for Beginners

By: Anne Edelstein

Narrated by: Mary Beth Garber

When Anne Edelstein was 42, her mother, an experienced swimmer in good health, drowned while snorkeling in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Caring for two small children of her own, Anne suddenly found herself grieving not only for her emotionally distant mother but also for her beloved younger brother Danny, who had violently killed himself more than a decade before. To find peace in the future, she must wrestle not only with the past and her family's long history of mental illness, but also with the present and the growing emotional needs of her children.

Part memoir and part meditation on joy, grief, and the other extreme emotions that make families so impossible and so indispensable, Lifesaving for Beginners will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to come to terms with their siblings, their parents, their children, and their place in the larger familial constellation.

©2014 Red Hen Press (P)2018 Red Hen Press

Interesting memoir

This is an interesting story by Edlestein that shared a life experience, and brought to life the story. There were a lot of details and angst in the shared experiences. I found the writing style to be enjoyable, and with darkness there was a bit of life. The story seems to be written for the author's benefit, maybe seeking some healing or catharsis. It's interesting to see the experience of others, and how it may help them, and in some ways help the reader, too. I hope Edlestein continues to share more stories, not just for herself, but for readers as well.