Sandra (mycatscanread) - reviewed on 3/24/2011 + 174 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This is a beautifully written memoir of Lucy Grealy's lifelong struggle with the results of a jaw tumor, Ewing's sarcoma, that was diagnosed at age 9. Part of her jawbone was removed, causing her face to sink in on that side, which resulted in 38 reconstructive surgeries over her lifetime, and most were not successful. She was ridiculed, bullied and tormented by other children all the way through her school years until she entered college. It's a dark story of a very lonely child who felt unloveable and who defined herself by her face. The dynamics from within and without her family are interesting to look at and also Grealy's perception of her doctors and the years of treatment she underwent. This book is definitely worth reading and is hard to put down.

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