Nightlight: A Memoir

by Janine Avril

Secrets are revealed, truths are unearthed and relationships blossom in this beautifully written memoir of one woman's family. When Janine was 15 her mother died of cancer. Whilst at college, she... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593500122
• ISBN13: 9781593500122
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Alyson Books
• Length: 211 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Highly recommended!

Like the other reviewers, I could not put this book down once I started reading it. I was forced to because I went to a wedding and spent time with family members but found that I was distracted during these interactions because I was fully immersed in Avril's world. She describes her experiences and feelings in such beautiful detail that I felt like I was right there with her. Avril shows the range of intense emotions that come with major loss and the devistation that family secrets can create. Through her strength and resiliancy, she opened up these secrets leading to hope and self-healing.

A must-read memoir

Nightlight: A Memoir This book is riveting. I started it and couldn't put it down. Though Avril describes a tale that seems too difficult to bear, she left me with a sense of her hope and strength. Her descriptions of her childhood and adolescence ring true in a way that is often funny and always real. Read this book!

Haunting, beautifully crafted. Couldn't put it down!

Although I hadn't planned on it, I read Janine Avril's memoir "Nightlight" in one sitting. Avril's story was so engrossing, I literally could not put the book down until I read the final word. I still can't stop thinking about her harrowing account of the destructive and corrosive effects of family secrets. Avril's memoir is so unflinching and raw that it consumes the reader, but there's also an incredible tenderness to her storytelling that resonates days...and now weeks later. It's an astounding debut, and I'm looking forward to more in the future!

Heartbreaking and moving...

It is Avril's questioning personality and her persistent pursuit of the truth, which drives Nightlight from the protected innocence of childhood to the disturbing discoveries of adulthood. Avril's narration is honest and without judgment, and her voice is clear throughout. The pain of losing her mom to a rare form of cancer and the anger towards her father are expressed beautifully. The challenging attitude of young adulthood also comes alive on the page. Avril's writing is crisp and at times, wise beyond her years. She has strength for dialogue, letting the characters tell their own stories. Janine Avril has made an admirable literary debut. She brings to light the dark truths that hide in the shadows of childhood with eloquence and courage. Her story shines even when she is faced with death, depression, and doubt.

Amazing Read

I am an avid reader and have read thousands of books. What I feel makes this book stand out is the ability Avril has to make herself strong and vulnerable at the same time. She has a likeable voice and the reader finds themselves wishing the book would never end. I read this book in one day, even missing my stop on the train. Janine's prose is fluid and easy. Her writing style makes the difficult topics she discusses accessible to people. This is a vivid retelling of the struggles of one suburban teenager forced to grow up too quickly. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who knows how to read.