Marie Arana is kind beyond measure to HANDLING THE TRUTH

Handling the Truth has been deeply blessed today by words from Marie Arana.  I had the privilege of writing a few reviews for Marie when she served as editor of the Washington Post book pages.  I met her in person when her own memoir, American Chica, was honored as a National Book Awards finalist during the same year that I served as lead juror of the Young People's Literature Jury.  Marie was looking gorgeous that night, as I'm pretty sure she always does.  I watched her. I was dazzled.

But more than that:  I have read aloud from American Chica in almost every memoir class I've ever taught. I have bent my voice around the sound of her words, and I have never lost the thrill of them.  American Chica is just that good.  It teaches tense, smell, sound, theme.  I could talk about it forever.

Marie's words on Handling the Truth:

"A marvelous primer for anyone who would dare to face the furies and write about his or her life. Beth Kephart has read the genre closely, put her own feet to the fire, and distilled the form with all the passion of a great teacher." 

--Marie Arana, author of the National Book Award finalist American Chica.