THIS LIFE I'VE LOVED by author Isobel Field

When is the last time you read a memoir, or any book, that made you feel good inside, excited you to action, and entertained you to laughter and tears? THIS LIFE I’VE LOVED created all these emotions in me. 

Isobel Field lived a life we all dream about while we run our daily errands and cook our meals. Born in Indianapolis, Isobel began her travels at the age of four, mostly with her mother. She experienced the gold rush days and the old west in America, became a dancer, an artist, a craftsman. Her life in the theater alone makes a fascinating story.

 

 

This was before she relocated to Honolulu and became well-acquainted with King David Kalakaua, the Merry Monarch. The king asked her to design the royal crest of Hawai‘i, as well as the official Hawaiian flag. She complied. 

Isobel moved to Australia at the request of her mother and stepfather, who then established residency for the entire family in Samoa. Her writing of all these events of her life is honest, straightforward, colorful, and most of all personal. I felt included in the many parties, theater rehearsals, and hectic Paris studio activities. I was pleased with her arrival in Belgium, home of my paternal ancestors, and how she spoke of the country’s great painters and hospitable citizens. 

Of Isobel, Irwin S. Cobb says: "Although much of Isobel Field's autobiography is concerned with her stepfather, Robert Louis Stevenson, it is Isobel's own unique story and her vibrant personality that will captivate the reader. Belle was a wonderful storyteller and a writer of great wit and acuity. She was with her mother, Fanny (Frances Van de Grift Osbourne), when they met Stevenson in Grez in 1876. . . 

“A great woman . . . who has lived as picturesque and colorful and useful life as anyone I know." 

 

Next up for review is:

 

Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje

JUST KIDS by PATTI SMITH #FridayReview

Patti Smith’s book serves as a salute to New York City during the sixties and seventies. As an emerging artist, she once questioned the point of creating art, thinking it seemed indulgent to add to the glut unless one offered illumination. 

I didn’t realize the story of Patti Smith’s life would entertain me from cover to cover, taking my emotions on a roller coaster ride that I prayed would not end too soon. Some people sample life, either skimming the cream off the top or barely dipping a finger into the main course. Patti Smith and her everything-friend, Robert Mapplethorpe, not only dove in head first, they barely surfaced long enough for the next breath of NYC air. 

I wouldn’t recommend everyone aspire to live this hectic pace, but I do suggest you read for enjoyment how diplomatically Patti tells her story. Inspiration oozes from every page, enough to make you want to accomplish at least one of those goals you set in January. A book that can do that deserves 5 stars. 

Rags to Riches

A rags-to-riches success story that shows all the kinks and hard work to prove it was well-earned is a rare find. Written without blinders, no punches pulled, Patti Smith tells her story the way she lived life, straightforward with no window dressing. 

It took twenty years after Robert’s death for Patti to tell this story in print. Considering the raw emotions involved in reliving such a story, another person might have chosen not to proceed. But, as she states in the book, she made a promise. 

Patti Smith, writer, performer, visual artist, gained recognition in the 70s for her “revolutionary mergence of poetry and rock.” Among her many achievements, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

 

Next up for review:

Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs