Nola: A Memoir of Faith, Art, and Madness

Robin Hemley, author of the illuminating nonfiction book "Turning Life into Fiction," relates the poignant story of his brilliant but schizophrenic sister, Nola, who died at age 25. But it is more than just her story; this is a tender examination of a talented life lost too soon, and of a family that loved each other desperately, despite the pain that Nola's illness cost them all.

Hemley takes the memoir form further than mere recollection of familial events, and delves into the arena of imagination and what if. His mission to tell Nola's story is complicated by the fickleness of family members' memories, the mystic nature of much of Nola's work, and his own admission that he covets her strange and wonderful story himself. The result is a surprising and honest process of both writing and discovery--finding the "facts" and revealing the truths about the way we remember and what we try to forget. This is not a book to rush through, but one to savor and think about for a good long time. --Susan Swartwout