May 30, 2022

Let's Talk Books (The Accidental Memoir) by Brenda Leyland




The Accidental Memoir
The Remarkable Way to Write Your Life Story

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Authors: Eve Makis & Anthony Cropper
Publisher: 4th Estate, Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, London, UK, 2018 edition
Length: 128 pages
Hardcover Only: $20.47 Cdn | Shipped from UK via Amazon
Subject: writing guide | memoir writing | self-discovery



"That’s the beauty of writing about personal experiences:
With the right encouragement, everyone can do it.
Everyone is an expert of their own life."
Eve Makis, from her article on Lithub.com, May 6, 2019

Here's an interesting book you might want for your memoir writing tool kit. Whether you are thinking about gathering your own memories or know someone who needs to tell his or her story but doesn't know where to begin, The Accidental Memoir might be the tool to get you started. I was drawn to the book when I read Eve Makis's heartwarming story of how she encouraged her aging dad, a reserved and non-talkative man, to write down some of his stories—she knew little of his life. One Christmas she created a simple notebook with 'bespoke' prompts she hoped would trigger his memories and motivate him to write them down. At first, Eve says, he was underwhelmed by her gift (that probably would have been my dad, too), but from his eyes she knew he liked it. A month later he came to her house with notebook in hand; pages had been filled in; memories were flowing.

Eve's notebook idea was later developed "as an Arts Council project to help people tap into their own lives. Working with diverse groups from refugees to the elderly and prisoners, it has been a resounding success in unearthing stories that otherwise may never have been told." So says the online product description.

The book provides a great way to capture bits and pieces of your history. The prompts and accompanying illustrations are imaginative, with space to jot down a few thoughts. Filled in, the book itself can be a keepsake. Or it can be used as a reference when fleshing out more in-depth essays and memoir pieces. With dozens of engaging prompts, who knows what powerful insights you will capture once you begin.

To give you an idea, here are two samples I filled in:

"Write about a time when someone left home. A sibling, child, a parent or partner. What effect did it have on you?"  I was the oldest and it was me who left home first. At the time, I didn't realize the impact it had on my family. Then my mom told me how much she missed me when I went away to college and how she'd go to the post office, sometimes a couple times a day, during a mail strike, hoping against hope that maybe mail still got through. I'll never forget how homesick I was but, in truth, I hadn't really considered how much she missed me or how odd the empty chair at the table must have felt to my little family. This prompt gave me pause to reflect on their perspective as well.


The second example, well, take a look at the page above. The prompt says, "On the opposite page draw a map of where you lived as a child. Annotate. Add street names, neighbours, play areas, local shops...". I wrote a few lines about growing up on our small farm in northerly Alberta. As I penciled in my little map, how the memories floated up. Our farm, and our neighbours' farms, one to the south and one adjoining to the west, made it easy to meet up with playmates our age. The whole farm became our playground, and what fun we used to have—roaming fields and meadows, testing creek depths, climbing old rock piles, picking Saskatoon berries, whiling away long summer afternoons.

The book is co-authored by Eve Makis and Anthony Cropper. Both are successful authors in the UK. Eve worked as a journalist and radio presenter before becoming an award-winning novelist. Anthony writes novels, short stories, and his play won an award for Radio Drama. He teaches creative writing in the UK and abroad.

"When you've finished all the assignments, pull the
printed part of the book away and you'll be left with
a well-structured, evocative memoir."
Alexander Masters, Foreword, The Accidental Memoir

The Accidental Memoir can be used for anyone desiring to document their lives, leave a legacy, or relive some of those magic moments of the past.




Inspired by the beauty of God's world around her, Brenda Leyland happily writes from her home in northerly Alberta, Canada. She shares on her blog It's A Beautiful Life and Facebook page.


21 comments:

  1. Thank you for this delightful book review, dear Brenda. I especially appreciated your inclusion of personal tidbits from your own past.
    Memoir is one of my favorite genres to read and write.
    Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

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    1. Thanks, Wendy. As I've come to realize, memoir is one of my favourites to read and write as well.

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  2. What a great idea. I have a friend who doesn’t do much writing but would like to write her memoir for her kids and grandkids. This would be a perfect springboard for her. Thanks for the review, Brenda.

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    1. The prompts really do tickle the memories. It could very well be what helps your friend get her stories written down for her family.

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  3. I agree that this book is a valuable resource for getting people started in writing their memoirs, or for those wanting to enrich the ideas and content they already have. Thanks, Brenda!!

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  4. This looks like an amazing resource. Thanks Brenda!

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  5. This sounds like a wonderful resource, Brenda. Thank you for sharing it with us. I also enjoyed reading the tidbits of your own memories.

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    1. The book really does trigger those memories. Thanks, Lorrie.

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  6. What a great idea! This reminds me, refering to your first example, of when I went home for Christmas in 1985. Roy, Diane, and Linda had all left home. Only my mom and I were in that empty house.To me, songs prompt memories. I even can remember the first time I heard some of them.

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    1. Now you've intrigued me about your memory with only you and your mom in the empty house that Christmas of '85. If you see this, would you let me know who's written it? I'd love to put a name to your comment.

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  7. I've used this book to spark memories for my Mom, who wants me to write her story. It's been so helpful. Loved hearing some of your own memories in this review. Thanks, Brenda.

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    1. I'm glad for feedback that you've found the book helpful as your work on your Mom's stories. Thanks, Joy.

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  8. What an interesting idea Brenda. I think it could spark many memories particularly amongst older people suffering from memory loss.

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    1. Oh yes, wouldn't that be so helpful to them! Thanks, Barbara.

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  9. Anonymous3:02 pm GMT-7

    This book seems like a good way to guide someone to write a memoir for their family to read and treasure.

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    1. I've seen some great reviews of the book - other readers are finding it a gem as well.

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  10. Good morning, Brenda. This looks like a marvelous tool to have and enjoy. Memories that have been tucked away for too long can once again bring joy and deep thoughts.

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    1. Thanks, Sandra, for stopping by. It seems these days anything I read--novels and non-fiction, including this book I mention--there are so many times a sentence or paragraph or section will trigger my own memories and off I go mulling how things happened for me. Even my novels get marked up nowadays. (smile) Which makes them forever mine; who wants to read marked up novels.

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  11. Very intriguing! Thank you for mentioning it to your readers.

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