
I am not one for celebrity memoirs, but as soon as I heard this one was coming out, I knew I needed to read it. I needed to understand the woman who wrote lines like, "But imagine the nerve of a God/ Letting me let you in/ And I thought I could let you go in grace/ But I've got to think again." She understood the anger mixed with sadness (and desperation) after a breakup and I needed to hear that someone else had these same feelings (and therefore I wasn't a freak for my own extreme reactions to failed love affairs.)
Luckily, she's a good writer (already kind of knew that from her songwriting.) Being from Nashville, I am not impressed with celebrity trappings, but she seems down to earth and pretty ordinary (in a great way), aside from her job. And it really is a lot like a day job, just with long travel schedules. She does seem to have not-great taste in men, but she's got a great daughter and some great friends (even including some exes). And I truly appreciate how honest she is about how hard the writing part is for her. I hope that will give other aspiring songwriters a realistic idea of what it's like.
I felt like a good friend was catching me up after many years apart. It's the perfect book to curl up with next to a fire with a mug of tea or a glass of wine. Shawn's seen highs and lows, she's had her share of heartbreak, and she's very open, sharing it with all of us. If you're a fan at all, you'll thoroughly enjoy this glimpse behind the curtain (which likely will be brightly patterned.)
I bought this book at Parnassus Books, the independent bookstore in Nashville, Tennessee.
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