Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope, And Repair

Sometimes, life takes you off a cliff. What to do when this happens? How should one, for instance, deal with devastating losses? How can one live a meaningful life when one is buffeted by a world of intense emotional pain? Lamott's self-help book uses an extended sewing metaphor to teach embattled readers how to stitch up a lifeline. However, Lamott, who narrates her own work for this audio edition, isn't the most compelling performer. Her reading comes across as tired and melancholic at times, and her habit of stretching out vowel sounds does little to win over listeners. For a book about hope, Lamott's performance is distracting and disconnected. A Riverhead hardcover. (Oct.)