The Middle Place (Voice) | 
| Author: Kelly Corrigan
Publisher: Hyperion
Category: Book
List Price: $23.95
Buy New: $13.44
You Save: $10.51 (44%)
New (29) Used (12) Collectible (2) from $11.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  57 reviews
Sales Rank: 11871
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.1
ISBN: 1401303366
Dewey Decimal Number: 362.196994490092
EAN: 9781401303365
ASIN: 1401303366
Publication Date: January 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Book. Your order will be processed and shipped within 24 hrs. (Seller Reference: B#16N)
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Product Description
"The Middle Place is about calling home. Instinctively. Even when all the paperwork -- a marriage license, a notarized deed, two birth certificates, and seven years of tax returns -- clearly indicates you're an adult, but all the same, there you are, clutching the phone and thanking God that you're still somebody's daughter." For Kelly Corrigan, family is everything. At thirty-six, she had a marriage that worked, a couple of funny, active kids, and a weekly newspaper column. But even as a thriving adult, Kelly still saw herself as George Corrigan's daughter. A garrulous Irish-American charmer from Baltimore, George was the center of the ebullient, raucous Corrigan clan. He greeted every day by opening his bedroom window and shouting, "Hello, World!" Suffice it to say, Kelly's was a colorful childhood, just the sort a girl could get attached to. Kelly lives deep within what she calls the Middle Place -- "that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap" -- comfortably wedged between her adult duties and her parents' care. But she's abruptly shoved into a coming-of-age when she finds a lump in her breast -- and gets the diagnosis no one wants to hear. And so Kelly's journey to full-blown adulthood begins. When George, too, learns he has late-stage cancer, it is Kelly's turn to take care of the man who had always taken care of her -- and show us a woman as she finally takes the leap and grows up. Kelly Corrigan is a natural-born storyteller, a gift you quickly recognize as her father's legacy, and her stories are rich with everyday details. She captures the beat of an ordinary life and the tender, sometimes fractious moments that bind families together.Rueful and honest, Kelly is the prized friend who will tell you her darkest, lowest, screwiest thoughts, and then later, dance on the coffee table at your party. Funny, yet heart-wrenching, The Middle Place is about being a parent and a child at the same time. It is about the special double-vision you get when you are standing with one foot in each place. It is about the family you make and the family you came from -- and locating, navigating, and finally celebrating the place where they meet. It is about reaching for life with both hands -- and finding it.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 52 more reviews...
Inspirational, witty, laugh at loud fun! May 12, 2008
I really loved this book and connected to it immediately. I met Kelly earlier this year when a co-worker dragged me to her book signing in Maryland. Not only did I literally know nothing about Kelly or the book, I had never attended a book signing before! Kelly read some excerpts from the book and I immediately liked her. She was even more personable speaking with her one on one after the event and my friend and I commented that we both felt if we had grown up near Kelly, we could easily have been friends. Like other readers who have posted a review, I had a very hard time putting the book down. Reading some of the criticisms posted for this book was actually painful for me! I laughed out loud at many of the stories (loved the Rolling Stones concert story, guess jeans fight, Dodge Dart - which my sister and I had in highschool - to name a few), and also cried. I connected to so many of Kelly's stories growing up (I graduated high school in 1985) that I thought it might be hard for people in other generations to get "into" the book - but everyone I have spoken with from 25-65 who has read the book has enjoyed it (I just a met a woman today in her 60s who is going to recommend the book to her book club!). To top everything off, Kelly agreed to participate in our Book Club discussion via telephone and it was truly an amazing evening. Kelly entertained us with additional family stories. She is so honest, thoughtful, and a true inspiration! Thank you Kelly!! We can't wait for your next book!
 Heartfelt... but a bit boring. May 7, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
My mother-in-law had breast cancer last year, so I kind of hoped this book would give me better insight as to what it's like to live through cancer treatments. But honestly, even though this story is told with many great details and loving anecdotes, I don't think Kelly Corrigan's cancer story is too much different from most people I know. Moreover, her loving biography to her dad is very sweet... but it would have perhaps been better served in a different narrative, rather than combining it with her own cancer story. It seems to me like Kelly's cancer story is important, but not really interesting enough to merit a whole book. And her dad sounds great, but not unique enough to warrant a book on his own. That's why she crammed to stories into one. But, it was still a nice story, and I hope Kelly and her father are both doing great!
Well-written memoir May 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (5/08)
While giving her two young girls a bath one night Kelly Corrigan discovers a lump in one of her breasts. Immediately a flash of panic sweeps over her and her suspicions are confirmed at the doctor's appointments that follow her discovery. It is cancer. As if this isn't bad enough news she discovers that her father, whom she calls Greenie, also has cancer. In fact he also had cancer in the past which Kelly just found out now.
"The Middle Place" follows both of their battles with cancer and alternates the present day events with flashbacks to growing up in the Corrigan household. Kelly has a very close relationship with her father and at times it seems that she focuses more on getting him the best treatment rather than focusing on her own malady. This book explores their tight-knit relationship in depth, back from when Kelly was young, all of the way up until today.
Kelly defines "The Middle Place" as "that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap." It is that time of your life when you are still someone's daughter but you are also a mother to your own children. Close in age to Kelly and having young children that are in the same general age group as hers, I can completely relate to being in "The Middle Place" as this is the phase of life that I am in as well.
Kelly's story is a wonderful, touching memoir that is very hard to put down. The book is a fast read and although about illness is also about celebrating and living life to the fullest. Kelly is a very real person and she puts it all out there for us to read which makes for a very honest and compelling book. I enjoyed the alternating between current events and chapters about what it was like to grow up as a Corrigan. This format provided a lot of insight into how Kelly became the person that she is today. I recommend "The Middle Place" to anyone who is at that phase in their life, to anyone battling a disease, or to anyone who loves a well-written memoir.
A fabulous book club choice! May 5, 2008
Kelly Corrigan writes an honest and moving memoir that focuses on her evolving roles as daughter and mother. As she chronicled the joys and challenges of growing up I felt like I was re-living some of the highs and lows of my own life as well. My book club read The Middle Place for our April meeting and the members of our group unanimously loved Kelly's story. It seemed as if each of us found something that we could personally relate to in her memoir. This is a fabulous book that is almost impossible to put down.
Loved every word April 21, 2008
I had the honor of meeting Kelly at a book reading. She is the type of person that you instantly want to be friends with. Hearing her speak about her family and listening to her read passages from the book made me want to go home, drop everything, and read. And that is exactly what I did, finishing the book in less than 12 hours. Kelly's writing style has a perfect balance and I loved the way she weaved in stories of the past with the present. I laughed and cried and, in the end, felt very fulfilled -- what more can you ask for in a book? I highly recommend this book to anyone, even if you do not have kids.
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