A Million Little Pieces

Last night I pulled an all nighter. Which is strange, right, because school is over and I am not studying for anything or finishing any papers. But at around 12:30am, I still couldn't fall asleep. So I picked up a book that I recently bought for some holiday reading (Andy Niner's recommendation) and I put it down at about 6:20 this morning when I finished it. But i was so stirred by the book, I couldn't fall asleep then, either. It wasn't until 7:46am (and my alarm was set for 8:20am) that I finally dozed off. The last time I stayed up all night reading a book from start to finish was in 1992. That book: The Firm by John Grisham. This book: A Million Little Pieces by James Frey.

I am probably late to get on this bandwagon but this book, which turns out to be an Oprah book, was one of the most amazing pieces of writing I have ever read. I am not sure if I have ever been so moved by a book (It is likely that I have but nothing comes to mind at the moment). I stand in awe of this writer, grateful for his willingness share his journey through hell. And hell it was; or so it seemed.

Robyn's fiance Adam is a recovered crack addict. He got sober when he was 19 (He's 37 now). He is a nice Jewish boy from an upper-middle class family from Connecticut. "Crack? Are you kidding me?" That was my first reaction when Robyn told me, just after they started dating. (James Frey was also an upper-middle class kid and was also, as it turns out, a crack addict. He got sober when he was 23.) So as I read this book all I could think about was Adam. His experience. His recovery. Adam is an amazing, generous, loving, stable man. To think that he might have ever been in the place this author found himself in was incredible to me, unfathomable. Was he in that kind of pain? Did he have that kind of anger? And how is he so..normalL...now? Probably more normal than either Robyn or me! It is a miracle I could even read the page through my tears.

Run, don't walk, to buy this book.