Overview

"Moving, bold, and funny, this collection of essays by Elizabeth Rau captures the poignancy of ordinary life through the voices of everyday people--children, friends, neighbors, and even the mail carrier. In vivid and lyrical prose, she chronicles her childhood in the Midwest, her many years as a newspaper reporter, and, above all, her plunge into motherhood in middle age. At a time when some writers tend to grouse about raising children, Rau revels in her good fortune and the day-to-day: teaching her younger son how to read using ""Garfield"" comic books; encouraging her older son to design his grandmother's gravestone; observing the motley crew of boys who patronize ""the yellow house"" for years, bringing their wit, charm, and stuff, from yo-yos to baseball gloves. Along the way we meet characters in her neighborhood, like Ed the mailman whose true passion is growing and selling daylilies because they are ""beautiful and resilient and won't die on you."" Engaging, yet never indulgent, the collection elevates moments we take for granted into luminous stories about the experience of home."

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9781627204439

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Reviews

This woman knows how to write. Blessed with a sharp memory and an astonishing eye for detail, she takes you by the hand and welcomes you into her world. Enjoy! - M. Charles Bakst, retired Providence Journal political columnist Elizabeth Rau offers proof of what I've always believed: everyone out there in the world is living a compelling story. With her journalist's eye and elegant style, Rau demonstrates that she knows how to suss out the moments in an ordinary life that will move us most. Each essay reminds us how little difference there is between us when it comes to life's big moments: leaving home, losing loved ones, making good in gym class. Rau reminds us that even when we feel alone, we are alone together and that's a great comfort. - Marybeth Reilly-McGreen, author With delightful description and disarming humor, Elizabeth Rau wrote a popular column in our paper, East Side Monthly, for over a decade about the joys of raising two irrepressible boys. Her gift though, is that these well-crafted narratives produce smiles of recognition regardless of where one lives. Do yourself a favor and dig in. A great read. - Barry Fain, publisher, Providence Media Elizabeth Rau has written your story, many of them. Writing is about noticing and thinking and learning about what surrounds you. Rau does that with clarity, warmth, wit, humor, and a turn of phrase that captures the moment. Her spirited stories of everyday life experiences will charm you and bring you into her world. There you will find much of yours. - Dr. Edward Iannuccilli, author of Growing Up Italian and other books about his youth.

This woman knows how to write. Blessed with a sharp memory and an astonishing eye for detail, she takes you by the hand and welcomes you into her world. Enjoy! - M. Charles Bakst, retired Providence Journal political columnist Elizabeth Rau offers proof of what I've always believed: everyone out there in the world is living a compelling story. With her journalist's eye and elegant style, Rau demonstrates that she knows how to suss out the moments in an ordinary life that will move us most. Each essay reminds us how little difference there is between us when it comes to life's big moments: leaving home, losing loved ones, making good in gym class. Rau reminds us that even when we feel alone, we are alone together and that's a great comfort. - Marybeth Reilly-McGreen, author With delightful description and disarming humor, Elizabeth Rau wrote a popular column in our paper, East Side Monthly, for over a decade about the joys of raising two irrepressible boys. Her gift though, is that these well-crafted narratives produce smiles of recognition regardless of where one lives. Do yourself a favor and dig in. A great read. - Barry Fain, publisher, Providence Media

"""Elizabeth Rau's writing style has always reminded me of Raymond Carver's. Like Carver, Rau understands the power of simple, concrete language and closely observed details. She uses her writing chops to illuminate the intricacies of everyday life, from the awkwardness of leaving a Red Sox game before the team makes a startling comeback, to her homesickness for her Midwestern hometown. With humor and uncommon sensitivity, Rau transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary."" - Jonathan Saltzman, reporter for The Boston Globe and former reporter for The Providence Journal ""This woman knows how to write. Blessed with a sharp memory and an astonishing eye for detail, she takes you by the hand and welcomes you into her world. Enjoy!"" - M. Charles Bakst, retired Providence Journal political columnist ""Elizabeth Rau offers proof of what I've always believed: everyone out there in the world is living a compelling story. With her journalist's eye and elegant style, Rau demonstrates that she knows how to suss out the moments in an ordinary life that will move us most. Each essay reminds us how little difference there is between us when it comes to life's big moments: leaving home, losing loved ones, making good in gym class. Rau reminds us that even when we feel alone, we are alone together and that's a great comfort."" - Marybeth Reilly-McGreen, author ""With delightful description and disarming humor, Elizabeth Rau wrote a popular column in our paper, East Side Monthly, for over a decade about the joys of raising two irrepressible boys. Her gift though, is that these well-crafted narratives produce smiles of recognition regardless of where one lives. Do yourself a favor and dig in. A great read."" - Barry Fain, publisher, Providence Media ""Elizabeth Rau has written your story, many of them. Writing is about noticing and thinking and learning about what surrounds you. Rau does that with clarity, warmth, wit, humor, and a turn of phrase that captures the moment. Her spirited stories of everyday life experiences will charm you and bring you into her world. There you will find much of yours."" - Dr. Edward Iannuccilli, author of Growing Up Italian ""I teared up reading Elizabeth Rau's ""Spaghetti Cowboy,"" a piece about my dad. She captured his personality perfectly. Her collection of essays reads like a Master Class in observation-a welcome reminder to pause and to find meaning and humor in the quirky, familiar details that surround us."" - Georgia Hunter, author of We Were the Lucky Ones"

Author Information

Elizabeth Rau is an award-winning writer and a former newspaper reporter whose work has appeared in The Providence Journal, East Side Monthly, Rhode Island Monthly, The Boston Globe, Providence Phoenix and many other publications. She grew up in the Midwest and lives in Providence with her family. www.elizabethrau.com

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