Gutkind (The Art of Creative Non-Fiction), a professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh, has collected here 20 personal essays (some original, some previously published in periodicals or other volumes) about the process of healing, which, despite their unifying theme, differ widely in subject matter. Of particular interest is Oliver Sacks's (The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat) sensitive and perceptive account of several days he spent with a surgeon who suffered from Tourette Syndrome. Although this syndrome compels the afflicted person to manifest strange tics, twitches and gestures, Sacks explains how it did not interfere with this man's ability to perform surgery and practice effective medicine. In "Mirrorings," an exceptionally moving memoir, Lucy Grealy (Autobiography of a Face) recounts how she endured long-term reconstructive plastic surgery beginning when she was 15. Having always shunned reflections of her image, after nearly 30 operations she had the insight that her true self would never be reflected in a mirror. Several other contributions deal with the ravages of cancer. Debra Spark, who lost her 26-year-old sister to breast cancer, writes affectingly of the impact of the disease on the patient's relationships and on the other members of her family. This compilation will offer sustenance and support to anyone attempting to deal with illness and physical or emotional healing. (Mar.)
