The Rules of Inheritance (review).

When you get teary-eyed and have to set a book aside by page three, you know you're in for it. But, sometimes, being in for it is OK. Sometimes, the story and writing are so moving, so touching that you can handle it -- that "it" that you've known you were in for.

So, yeah. I knew I was in for it when I started reading the memoir, The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith. And I truly was.

It's a tragic story, really. Claire Bidwell Smith shares the story of her life, telling it through the stages of grief. Her grief is real and heavy -- when she was just 14 both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer. Her mother dies first and then her father and, through it all, Claire struggles.

She makes terrible decisions, decisions made in grief. But decisions made in grief are still decisions made; they are still real. And that's the thing about this book. Her story -- it is a memoir, after all -- is real. You read it and feel as if you are there with her; watching her experience the sadness of life, her grief, her bad decisions, and, finally, her coming to terms with her situation.

The Rules of Inheritance is a well-written, well-told story. It is sad (at times, overwhelmingly so). But, it is also a story full of hope. I often have a hard time recommending books that are difficult to read, simply because they were difficult for me. This book is worth the difficulty.

Have you read The Rules of Inheritance? What did you think? Are you a fan of memoirs?

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the review. You can read more about the book and the author on the BlogHer Book Club.


~ Felice


Disclosure: This was a paid review as part of the BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are entirely my own.