Corrigan's writing style is fluid and descriptive. The Middle Place doesn't "chug along" like so many memoirs. Rather, this one flies. "Show, don't tell," is what we are taught as elementary school students, and indeed, Corrigan shows us her world. We are introduced to her family and her coping mechanisms. We establish our own relationships with the real-life characters and situations as though we are experiencing the scenes ourselves.

When I say "characters," I really mean it: everyone has a very well described multifaceted personality, even those only mentioned briefly. Corrigan has the gift of being descriptive in a meaningful way. The way she tells tales of her clever father, strong mother, and unique brothers make me want to know them. I admire her family's closeness and am comforted by the love she has put into developing them in her memoir. The stories she tells of her younger self make me smile.

And then she speaks of her husband and daughters, the "parent" part of her life: how to fulfil the wife and mother roles when she is going through such a scary experience . The "middle place" is what she describes as being in the middle of the parenting role and the childhood role. Corrigan writes in the prologue, "Even when all the paperwork... clearly indicates that you're an adult... there you are... thanking God that you're still somebody's daughter."

The concept of a "middle place" struck me. I can think of all the ways in which I'd love to be independent, and yet when I have a question, I call my dad or my mom. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed that I am cleaning up "everyone else's" messes; and yet, my parents frequently end up cleaning up mine, at least figuratively.

Corrigan must multitask, not only in the roles of mother, daughter, and wife, but also in the roles of "cancer patient" and "daughter of a cancer patient." Yup, you read that correctly: Corrigan is diagnosed with breast cancer, and just a few months later her father is diagnosed with bladder cancer.

The descriptions of how this plays out are not the stereotypical "chick lit" "Hallmark Channel movie" feel-good fluff. Gayle, our Book Club Moderator wrote in her review: "I feared it would be a support guide...I saw an Oprah book... maybe ultimately a Lifetime movie" Indeed, I had the same concerns before I actually opened the book. Instead, this book is a treat that breaks out of that repetitive mold. The Middle Place is simultaneously much "deeper" than that and yet more enjoyable to read than some of those brooding pieces masquerading as sophistication.

In some ways this feels more like a work of fiction than of non-fiction. It has the quality of an excellent story, but the familiarity of having it actually happen. Corrigan knows what details are important. I dare say many of us writing our memoirs wouldn't be so sagacious.

I never thought that reading a memoir involving cancer would be so enjoyable. And yet, Corrigan's storytelling is intriguing. Of course, that isn't to say that I beamed throughout the novel: of course the book tackles a serious subject on an emotional roller coaster. But it isn't a fake journey. Corrigan is exceptionally talented and The Middle Place is worth reading.

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Head on over to Gayle's to join the discussion and to submit questions to Kelly Corrigan, the author!