If Only You People Could Follow Directions: a memoir by Jessica Hendry Nelson
This memoir is set out in a series of essays, each around a particular theme or set of interactions with others. The writing isn't linear, even within a single essay, but it is clear when things happen. Jessica is very open with her life, not hiding the intimacies, the joys, or the sorrows. When she struggles you see the struggle, understand it, and see how she deals with it.
Her life has seen its share of difficulties, encountering addiction, violence, and loss. She doesn't excuse it, explain it, or apologize for it. She just describes it, telling us what happened, how she felt about it when it happened, and often how she feels about it now.
She's still young and has issues described here that are still ongoing, and she doesn't entirely know where she is heading, which is as it should be at her stage in life.
The writing here is very good, and each essay has its own style and form. I found once I started reading, I had trouble putting it down. An interesting writer to watch.
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