Losing Mum and Pup
A Memoir
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4.5 • 48 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In twelve months between 2007 and 2008, Christopher Buckley coped with the passing of his father, William F. Buckley, the father of the modern conservative movement, and his mother, Patricia Taylor Buckley, one of New York's most glamorous and colorful socialites. He was their only child and their relationship was close and complicated. Writes Buckley: "They were not - with respect to every other set of loving, wonderful parents in the world - your typical mom and dad."
As Buckley tells the story of their final year together, he takes readers on a surprisingly entertaining tour through hospitals, funeral homes, and memorial services, capturing the heartbreaking and disorienting feeling of becoming a 55-year-old orphan. Buckley maintains his sense of humor by recalling the words of Oscar Wilde: "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness."
Just as Calvin Trillin and Joan Didion gave readers solace and insight into the experience of losing a spouse, Christopher Buckley offers consolation, wit, and warmth to those coping with the death of a parent, while telling a unique personal story of life with legends.
Customer Reviews
Fine, not a triumph
This is the third of the author's books I have read, the two (2) prior being fiction.
While heartfelt and honest, I found the humorous references to be too "insider" as I had little prior knowledge of the characters personal traits and quirks.
Overall a decent "from the public library read" would not want as a permanent part of my collection.
I laughed, I cried, I loved it
I thoroughly enjoyed this tribute to Christopher Buckley's Mum and Pup. I too became an orphan recently, losing my parents in the same year. I spent the last four years of their lives with them and wouldn't trade that time for anything. I also had frustrating times, happy times, and funny times. I could relate to many of Mr Buckley's situations so well that I really choked up and became a member of the "bawl brigade" or laughed so hard I snorted. I'm going to recommend this book to many of my "orphaned" friends.
Losing Mum and Pup
This is a great book! I've never read one of Chris Buckley's books before, but now I am eager to read more. His account of his parent's lives, and the experience of losing both of them in a relatively short period of time, is both moving and laugh-out-loud funny. Although our lives couldn't be more different, I found myself sharing many of the same things he writes about in this book. Anyone who has a family that is slightly less than normal (in other words, everyone) will enjoy the stories he shares. A must read for those with aging parents!