Building a Home with My HusbandOccupied with giving talks around the country, restoring relationships with two siblings and dealing with a mother’s illness, all Rachel Simon needs is a year-and-a-half-long home renovation to add to her sea of troubles. In this painstakingly detailed memoir, Simon exposes the thought processes that kept her sane during this dramatic time, convincing readers that it takes just a little goodwill towards humankind to patch up mistakes, smooth over rough spots with romantic partners and see what we refuse to accept in a brand-new light. Simon’s narrative guides readers through the ordeals of construction and tough relationships with husbands, sisters, mothers, contractors and friends – occasionally diving into older memories – to find lessons in acceptance and tolerance at the end of the day. Simon invites you to enter her classroom and learn to be a student of satisfaction, of “weaving something good from so much that’s bad,” of “renovating” the ability to love. High points include a natural gas explosion.
-Valeria Tsygankova
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