Reviews for Tell me more : stories about the 12 hardest things I'm learning to say

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Could it be that the simplest phrases sometimes hold the most complexity? In her fourth book, Corrigan (Glitter and Glue, 2014) explores this assertion in 12 essays, each of which is named for a phrase that has proven itself to be essential. While some phrases are expected (I Love You), others are more of a surprise; Tell Me More follows Corrigan as she learns new ways to listen, while No Words at All considers the times when language fails us. Corrigan's family and friends play a central role in the essays; readers of her memoir The Middle Place (2008) will immediately recognize Greenie, the much-loved father she lost to cancer. Though humor is an essential part of her voice, Corrigan is at her best when she tempers her self-deprecation with weightier topics. Onward, especially, shows her ability to mix the mundane and the momentous; in a letter to a dear friend who has died, Corrigan recounts how they've all tried to move on not with grand actions or resolutions but with the small, daily triumphs and struggles that define life itself.--Winterroth, Amanda Copyright 2018 Booklist


Publishers Weekly
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In this brisk and moving memoir, Corrigan (The Middle Place) explores the language and terrain of intimacy, delving into some of the most difficult and significant things people say to one another. In 12 brief essays, Corrigan describes the ways in which phrases such as "tell me more" and "I know" have shaped her closest relationships. In the title essay, Corrigan slowly raises the stakes, with masterly results (when her sixth-grade daughter calls to talk of an incident in school, Corrigan simply says, "Tell me about it," rather than something more accusative, and her daughter divulges everything). She also contemplates the many meanings of "I love you" (to a sibling, it could be "Even though we hardly agree about a thing, including who should be president... I love you") and writes about how the phrase "I know" offers the salve of empathy when no other words will do. At the heart of the memoir is Corrigan's examination of her friendship with Liz, who died from ovarian cancer. "Every important conversation I have, for the rest of my life, will have a little bit to do with her," Corrigan writes. At one point, she considers the truth that sometimes only silence can properly evoke. The essays are impactful, and Corrigan offers solid wisdom throughout. (Jan. 2018) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Lithographs, etchings, drypoint and aquatints by the Impressionists: Van Gogh, who produced only ten graphics, Signac, who developed such marvels of color it's a pity that so few of his etchings have thus far been published, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne, Renoir, etc. -- works largely unfamiliar, reproduced (99 illustrations) with notable fidelity and accompanied by an especially informative text. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.


Library Journal
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Best seller Corrigan (Middle Place) asserts in her latest work that there are 12 hard statements that everyone needs to say more. She presents them via stories from her life, resulting in a book that is part memoir and part self-improvement. By using personal, sometimes intimate stories she instantly builds a bond with listeners and demonstrates exactly when and how to incorporate these statements into daily life. From the title essay to "I Was Wrong" and "No," through saying nothing at all, which for many will be the hardest, listeners will be inspired to look at their own lives and replicate these powerful declarations. Listeners will enjoy the personality Corrigan brings through her warm and welcoming narration. VERDICT Recommended for libraries where lighter self-improvement and parenting books are popular. ["A user's manual to tough conversations": Memoir 10/20/17 review of the Random hc.]-Donna Bachowski, Orange Cty. Lib. Syst., Orlando, FL © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Ruminations about the power of 12 of life's essential phrases and the difficulty in learning to say them out loud.Corrigan (Glitter and Glue, 2013, etc.) may be a bestselling author, but she doesn't always know the right thing to say, especially when it comes to the ones she loves most. In the collection's titular essay, the author struggles to communicate with her teenage daughter until a childhood friend encourages her to do less talking and more listening, a strategy she implements when her father is diagnosed with terminal cancer. In "I Know," Corrigan's experience volunteering at a camp for children who have lost someone to cancer reminds her how comforting physical companyrather than apologycan be during times of tragedy and loss. "I Was Wrong," the funniest entry in the collection, uses a dog, an unflushed toilet, and a parental meltdown to highlight the power and near-impossible difficulty of admitting personal fault. In the deeply affecting entry "Onward," moving on from tragedy takes on a new weight. With heartfelt humor and penetrating insight, Corrigan uses the pain, anguish, failure, and occasional successes in her life to explore the vital connection between the words we say and the relationships we develop, both with the people around us and ourselves. Punctuated with her signature warmth and unflinching honesty, her introspective musings gush with empathy for every partner, parent, child, or friend who has said the wrong thing at the wrong time. At times laugh-out-loud funny but overwhelmingly bittersweet, this brief book spans time and experience to drive home a seemingly simple but significant message: finding the right words is a lifelong journey. Other phrases include "I Love You" and "No Words at All."Moving and deeply personal, Corrigan's portraits of love and loss urge readers to speak more carefully and hold on tighter to the people they love. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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