The middle place, according to Kelly Corrigan, is the place between childhood and adulthood. At 36 she is a writer, wife and mother of two little girls, but comes to realize that she has yet to fully understand what it means to be an adult. She says, "The thing you need to know about me is that I am George Corrigan's daughter, his only daughter." The charming and amiable George Corrigan, also jokingly referred to as "Greenie," has always had a large influence in shaping Corrigan's view of herself. He once tells her that she is creative, and from that day on she has seen herself as creative.
Her comfortable world, however, undergoes dramatic changes when she finds a lump in her breast and the doctor diagnoses her with cancer. Even more shattering, the family soon learns that their much-loved father has cancer as well. This memoir expresses their shared battle against cancer and shows the difference a strong, loving family makes.
Wry humor, candid honesty and compassion fill the pages of this book, pulling the reader from laughter to tears. Corrigan parallels her experiences as her parents' child and as her children's mother with frustration and affection. She warmly details knowledge of the Corrigans from her father's larger-than-life personality to the peculiarities of her wise child Georgia, which both draws and invites you into her story. The descriptions of her family paint an intimate portrait of her life; it felt somewhat like a visiting relative coming to be with the family during this difficult time.
Her words not only give inspiration as another survival account, but also as a unique coming of age story. Corrigan knows that adulthood is not something that happens as soon as the child makes the move out of the parents' home. Rather, she sees it as an accumulation of years of change and understanding. She proves herself to be a remarkable writer as she takes us with her on her journey down the memory lane of her childhood to her present. Despite everything that she has lived through, she does believes that she has not yet left the middle place, an impressive and humbling thought.
