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2 books match the query 'Cohen, Garnett Kilberg'

cover of Cravings

Cravings

Garnett Kilberg Cohen

University of Wisconsin Press, 2023

Opening with “Hors d’oeuvres” and closing with a “Feast,” the stories in Cravings pulse with longing, missed opportunities, recriminations, and joy. Garnett Kilberg Cohen leads readers through acutely crafted explorations of the way events shape and change our lives, sometimes for the better and sometimes in ways that haunt us forever. Love, friendship, childhood, parenthood, and leaving home—all these experiences of desire, driven by the unrelenting passage of time—form the heart of this charismatic collection. 

Kilberg Cohen’s captivating and vulnerable characters often recognize their shortcomings and past mistakes, but cannot always rise above them. One woman learns to forgive her husband’s ex; another fears her love of salty snacks caused a family tragedy. A stoic rural community drives a newcomer out of town; a young man’s entire life is colored by a traumatic childhood event at a zoo. Focusing on the specific, unforgettable moments that reveal our connections to one another, Cravings offers an expansive vision of humanity that lingers long after the final page is turned. 
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cover of The Flowers Mother Ate: A Daughter’s Memoir

The Flowers Mother Ate

A Daughter’s Memoir

Garnett Kilberg Cohen

University of Wisconsin Press, 2027

A memoir-in-essays, The Flowers Mother Ate captures the gradual decline of the author’s mother, an artist who lived with Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade. The book’s nonlinear structure and mix of literary styles and perspectives reflect the ever-shifting, often bewildering nature of dementia—for both the patient and their loved ones. Glimpses of imagery from their former life—like a beer bottle perched on the edge of a bathtub or faded oil paintings of a much younger mother and daughter—blend together with the stark realities of elder care, including doctor’s appointments, difficult conversations, and unpredictable behavior. What emerges is a relatable portrait of life, death, and family in modern America, told in a series of stunning and often surprising stories.

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