Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts

The remarkable debut memoir from Booker Prize winner Atwood (The Testaments) recounts pivotal moments in her personal life that shaped some of her most enduring work as a writer. Born in 1939 Ottawa, Atwood spent most of her childhood exploring the woods between Ontario and Quebec. After drafting her first poem at age six, she received encouragement from a secondary schoolteacher who taught her that “every writer is at least two beings: the one who lives, and the one who writes.” For much of the book, Atwood attempts to bridge the gap between those two versions of herself, describing, for example, how her debut novel, The Edible Woman, sprang from her private interest in cake decorating, and how The Handmaid’s Tale’s vision of a “totalitarian theocracy” grew out of the political tensions she observed while living in Berlin in the 1980s. While Atwood focuses primarily on her creative development, she also renders with the skill of a master storyteller her feminist awakening, love of cooking, affinity for the occult, and slow-burn relationship with her husband. Luminous prose, a palpable lust for life, and an invaluable glimpse into the mind of a literary giant make this a must-read. Photos. Agent: Karolina Sutton, CAA. (Nov.)