Girl in the Dark / Anna Lyndsey

   Once upon a time I wasn't a memoir-reader, and then came Bossypants, and then I was all about memoirs (to the degree that I read maybe one or two a year instead of zero). I decided that I should probably read stories from people with varied backgrounds, and so I read Persopolis, which was on my list anyways, and now I've finished Girl in the Dark and OH BOY: Y'all need to get on out there and read every book I've mentioned so far and please don't pass by Girl in the Dark. It's good and heartbreaking and hopeful and sad and bewildering.

   Anna Lyndsey's skin is severely photosensitive, and when she says severely she means severely. This ain't kid stuff. She's not just someone who gets sunburnt easily. Basically, her skin reacts to light so badly that she lives most of her life cooped up in a completely blacked-out room, aside from a couple stints of skin craziness remission. She talks about what it's like to try to block out every particle of light, what she does with her time (loooots of audiobooks, and word games to play in the dark). She talks about the fear of being left alone, and how it is difficult for her to listen to music. She talks, bluntly and honestly, about suicide, and about what a life is worth when it doesn't seem to contribute to the outside world and can't even be in the outside world. She talks about being in love and what love and commitment look like when one person can't be in the light.

   This book is short and small and has so much packed into it. There is a lot about healthcare and what it's like to be chronically ill and how to build up a community when you can't leave your house, as well as talk about love and books and the logistics of everyday life when daylight is a no-go. BUT if you want a strictly chronological timeline from point A to point B then you should still read this book but don't expect it to follow an orderly timeline. Ach, just read it! It's great! It'll take you very little time to read! It's got a great cover! It's honest and conversational! It'll make you want to reach out to people in your life who might be sick and/or homebound! It isn't sensationalized! You'll get annoyed at anyone who interrupts your reading time! (Who am I kidding, that's the story of my LIFE. I'm reading, let me read, or someone gonna get hurt real bad.)

   Long story short, Anna Lyndsey says that words are wonderful and she is correct.