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Book Review of Bring Your Baggage and Don't Pack Light: Essays

Bring Your Baggage and Don't Pack Light: Essays
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 635 more book reviews


I'm a big fan of Helen Ellis. Her short story "The Wainscoting War" (included in American Housewife, her first book) is one of the funniest things I've ever read. A description of a few of the author's characteristics sounds like a great mystery novel protagonist:

- strong Southern accent
- lives in NYC
- professional poker player
- writer

So when my library hold for Bring Your Baggage and Don't Pack Light, her newest story collection, came in, I set aside my current read and dove in. This is a series of personal essays reflecting on the joys and sorrows of life at middle age including marriage, friendships, and family, cosmetic procedures, poker, and psychics. I'm close to the author's age so many of these tales resonated with me. Some are poignant, all include the author's dry wit I enjoy.

Ms. Ellis narrates the audiobook so readers hear the stories exactly as she intended, Southern accent and all. This was a delightful way to spend three hours.