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Description
Ann Patchett describes her friendship with Lucy Grealy, author of AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE, and their commitment to each other for twenty years, from graduate school in Iowa to literary fame in New York City.
Quick Summary
Ann Patchett and Lucy Grealy's twenty-year bond feels like watching two fierce, brilliant women keep each other sane while chasing literary dreams, and Patchett's candid, often hilarious voice makes even the hardest moments feel intimate. The book reads like a series of snapshots late-night talks over cheap wine, shared triumphs at book fairs, and the painful reality of Grealy's ongoing battle with a rare facial condition that shaped her identity. Anyone who loves memoirs about friendship, or who's ever tried to balance their own ambition with the messiness of love, will find themselves rooting for both of them, even when they're at their most stubborn. Parents should know the story includes frank discussion of illness, some sharp language, and a few scenes that hit hard emotionally, but the humor and Patchett's steadfast loyalty keep it from feeling bleak. If you liked the raw honesty of *The Glass Castle* or the witty banter in *The Little Paris Bookshop*, this one will hook you in the same way.