more memoirs

Earlier this month I posted some thoughts on "celebrity" memoirs. I guess memoirs have been on my mind lately. I just finished reading one and am trying to get J to read my favorite memoir. I feel like these two memoirs are different from "celebrity" memoirs, though. It seems like both of these authors are quite sincere in their desire to talk about their experiences - there doesn't seem to be motivation to regain the spotlight or popularity (which I feel is the case for some "celebrity" memoirs).

The memoir that I recently finished is Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise. This is a fun story about a food critic for the New York Times who realized that she needed to dress up in disguises so that she wouldn't be noticed in restaurants around the city. By assuming different costumes (she even dressed up as her own mother one time), she learned more about her own personality. This is a fun book and a quick read. The only thing I didn't like is that when Reichl is conversing with friends, some of the leading questions addressed to Reichl are a little contrived - the questions are obviously planted to help Reichl introduce background information to the reader. I remember in one scene Reichl sits down with her friend Brenda at a restaurant, and her friend immediately queries something to the effect, "So...tell me about the chef that works here." And then Reichl proceeds to give Brenda (but really the reader) all of the necessary information about the chef. The use of leading questions is not a bad gimmick for writing a memoir, but I think Reichl's approach was a little too obvious. I had to roll my eyes once or twice.

And boy, does Reichl like food. A lot. I always thought that I appreciated good food, but I obviously don't in comparison with her. Wow.

This book also has fun gourmet and ethnic recipes that are easy to make at home. I'm not much of a cook, but I have several friends who I think would like to try the recipes in this book (such as my friend Kelly, who writes regularly on this cooking blog.)

The other memoir I mentioned is The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz. My friend Ry Ry gave me this book a few years ago, and I have reread it several times. I keep trying to get J to read it, and one time I remember sitting down and reading him parts out loud. He finally picked it up the other evening, so maybe he's coming around.

This book is the memoir of a Polish prisoner who escaped from a Soviet labor camp during 1941. Rawicz recounts how he and a small group of escapees marched out of Sibera, through China, the Gobi Desert, and the Himalayas to find freedom. This story is very engaging and well written. If anyone likes memoirs and adventure stories (or if anyone has an interest in WWII stories), I think you'll like this book.

Has anyone else read these books? What did you think? Do you know of any other great WWII memoirs?