Calypso by David Sedaris

I feel that I experienced this book at the perfect time. It was something that I needed to hear. Not that it contained any hard truth to swallow, but it felt like I was getting some well-needed advice from my Uncle David (not actually my uncle) about life that he wished he had known at my age.

Sedaris's latest novel Calypso felt like it was more about his family than any of his previous books. Despite trying, each chapter kept coming back to one main plot-line centered family. Whenever he did veer off to a different topic, usually when from his various and humorous book tour appearances, it was almost like the beach house on the Carolina coast demanded absolute attention. It was where the Sedaris family went every year for vacations. Even after the death of his mother, and more recently his sister, the family still went year after year. The tradition in that is heartwarming.

David reflects on his sister and the differences in their and their other sibling's lives. The difference in worldviews as hopeful younglings and how life evolves and changes you throughout your life. More so than in previous books, there is a lot of juxtaposition between the past and the present, and the "uncle's advice" I took from all of it was life takes time. Life takes work. Life will be difficult and will require lots of hard work, but your family will be there through all of it. You just need to pay attention to your life, your family, and for lack of a better phrase, count your blessings and live.

Review by Sarah Hinrichs