Banged-Up Heart
by Shirley Melis
Description
Banged-Up Heart by Shirley Melis is an intimate and clear-eyed account of finding love late and losing it early–and of the strength it takes to fall madly in love a second time, be forced to relinquish that love too soon, and yet choose to love again. When her husband of thirty years dies suddenly, Shirley Melis is convinced she will never find another man like Joe. Then she meets John, a younger man who tells her during their first conversation that he has lived for many years with a rare but manageable cancer. She is swept off her feet in a whirlwind courtship, and within months, made brave by the early death of a friend's husband, she asks him to marry her! What follows is a year-long odyssey of travel and a growing erotic and creative partnership–until a mysterious bump on John's forehead proves to be one of several tumors in his brain and spine. The nine months that follow are filled with a life-threatening infection, three brain surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. Two years and one week after their wedding, John dies at the age of fifty-nine. More than just a love story or a memoir of mourning, Banged-Up Heart comes down solidly on the side of life. It takes you deep inside an ordinary woman, her deeply felt grief butting up against her desire for more than companionship: passion, sexual fulfillment, and self-realization. It bears eloquent witness to the wild trust it takes to fall madly in love and risk profound loss–a second time. Ultimately, it shows that it is possible to dance with a banged-up heart.
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Reviews
Melis' stirring story is beautifully told, both philosophicallyreflective and emotionally poignant. Her account is also remarkablycandid. Despite the heartbreaking losses she endured, she manages toproduce a life-affirming memoir detailing personal triumph."
--Kirkus Reviews
"Demonstrating her mastery of the writer's craft, Melis delves deep into her owntormented psyche to unveil her memories of the double tragedies she hasendured. The memoir is peppered with lively conversation and the wryobservations of a worldly-wise intellectual. Banged-Up Heart is a harrowing read at times, but ultimately illuminating andinspiring, and it has a powerful message about love and second chancesfor any reader."
--Self-Publishing Review ★★★★½
"Exceptionally well written, impressively candid, and ultimatelyinspiring... A trulyextraordinary memoir, "Banged-Up Heart"isunreservedly recommended forpersonal reading lists and community library Contemporary AmericanBiography collections."
--Midwest Book Review
"The themes of love and loss are considered universal for a reason, and this book faces both of them with honesty and courage."
--San Francisco Book Review
"To speak the full truth of oneself is a brave thing. Everyone has flaws as deep as their virtues are high. Both shape us, and we can learn from our flaws if we confront them head-on."
--Manhattan Book Review
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View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher/Imprint Mango Moon Media / Terra Nova Books
- Publication Date February 2017
- Orginal LanguageEnglish
- ISBN/Identifier 9781938288708 / 193828870X
- Publication Country or regionUnited States
- FormatPaperback
- Pages202
- Publish StatusPublished
- Original Language TitleEnglish
- Edition1st
- Copyright Year2017
- Page size5.5 x 8.5 in (5.5 x 8.5) inches
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