Ordinary Light: A Memoir

Ordinary Light: A Memoir by Tracy K. Smith, 349 pages
The Pulitzer-Prize winning poet recounts the death of her mother from cancer, and then loops around to tell the story of her childhood, her home, and her family. Smith's voice is so clear and precise; both listening to her read her memoir and reading the book itsel, are a joyful experience. Smith is adept at telling the story at one remove, at looking at her younger self with understanding and wry humor; realizing that even the smartest among us are foolish at times, especially when we are young. Her recounting of her almost-affair with her high-school English teacher, and the judgement she was subjected to several years later by members f her mother's church, are well-crafted, tinged with nostalgia and somehow sad and funny.
The book is moving, lyrical and beautifully written, I enjoyed it.
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