''Blackbird'' is a memoir by the American journalist and author
Jennifer Lauck
Jennifer Lauck (born December 15, 1963) is an American fiction and non-fiction author, essayist, speaker and writing instructor.
Early life and education
Lauck is the American author of four books including the ''New York Times'' best seller '' ...
. Published in October 2000, ''Blackbird'' became a
''New York Times'' bestseller and was translated into twenty-two languages, making the bestseller lists in London, Ireland and Spain. In this memoir, Lauck conveys the perceptions, thoughts, and emotions of a frightened child in her account of the six years during which both of her parents died. Lauck was given the Book Sense 76 award and was featured in ''Newsweek'', ''Harper's Bazaar'', ''Talk'', ''People'', ''Glamour'' and ''Writer's Digest''. She was a select ''USA Today'' pick and nominated for two
Oregon Book Awards.
''Blackbird'' is used as a source reference by foster parenting organizations nationwide, providing caregivers with inspiration and insight about taking in parentless children.
''Blackbird'' is also used at
The Dougy Center, helping children who are grieving the loss of a parent. Lauck has been in collaboration with Yale professors and partners in the Post Traumatic Stress Center in New Haven, Connecticut, Hadar Lubin, MD and David Reed Johnson, Ph. D. Their center routinely gives out copies of ''Blackbird'' and ''Still Waters'' to patients working to heal childhood trauma.
Critical reception
''Blackbird'' received both commercial success and critical acclaim.
*Lauck was featured on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
''. Winfrey told her audience, "This should have been a Book of the Month book. Read it now!"
*
Frank McCourt
Francis McCourt (August 19, 1930July 19, 2009) was an Irish-American teacher and writer. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his book ''Angela's Ashes'', a tragicomic memoir of the misery and squalor of his childhood.
Early life and education
Frank McC ...
, author of the
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
-winning memoir ''
Angela's Ashes
''Angela's Ashes: A Memoir'' is a 1996 memoir by the Irish-American author Frank McCourt, with various anecdotes and stories of his childhood. The book details his very early childhood in Brooklyn, New York, US but focuses primarily on his life ...
'', wrote of ''Blackbird'': "Written gloriously and movingly."
*''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' of London wrote: "Lauck has constructed a riveting narrative from the awful mess of her life. That she has managed to do so fills me with an admiration for which I cannot find words. The best I can do is to suggest that you read this book."
*Kirkus Reviews wrote, "A searing, soaring memoir of one girl's complicated and almost unbelievable childhood...Lauck's literary achievements—voice, characterization, pacing—are as extraordinary as those of Frank McCourt and Dave Eggers, if not more so. A lost childhood reclaimed in profound triumph, and with the promise of a sequel to match."
References
{{Reflist, 2
External links
*http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/72953.Jennifer_Lauck
2000 non-fiction books
American memoirs