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My Sister from the Black Lagoon : A Novel of My Life
My Sister from the Black Lagoon A Novel of My Life
Author: Laurie Fox
"I was born into a mentally ill family. My sister was the officially crazy one, but really we were all nuts." So begins My Sister from the Black Lagoon, Laurie Fox's incandescent novel of growing up absurd. Lorna Person's tale is wrested from the shadows cast by her sister, Lonnie, whose rages command the full attention of her par...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780684855387
ISBN-10: 0684855380
Publication Date: 9/13/1999
Pages: 336
Rating:
  • Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
 26

3.1 stars, based on 26 ratings
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed My Sister from the Black Lagoon : A Novel of My Life on + 27 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
Lorna is good, Lonnie is bad. In the Persons family, these are the roles of the two daughters--equally troubled but unequally equipped to handle the absurdities of everyday life. Though Lonnie is the "officially crazy one" in the eyes of the world, the rest of the clan is far from normal--at least, in Lorna's eyes. Her mother is a frustrated housewife, worn down by the struggle to appease Lonnie's fits of rage and dementia, while father--exhausted by the tensions of the corporate world--has little energy left over to abide Lonnie or appreciate Lorna. Although younger than her sister, Lorna feels responsible for Lonnie's welfare, for the well-being of the entire family--a losing battle, if ever there was one.

To escape the pressures and unpleasantness of reality, Lorna relies on her imagination: She becomes a ballerina, a Broadway songstress, a Miss Universe contender. The interiors of her mind provide relief from the role she must play in her family and elsewhere: She is the good girl to everyone but herself. ("Ever since I was six and halfway aware that something about Lon didn't work right, I've been vigilant about ... counting the things I am grateful for. Or could be grateful for, if I were a good person.") The only difference between her and Lonnie, she is convinced, is that she is simply a better actress.

Lorna guides us through her real and fantasy life, from the angst of lonely adolescence to the trials of finding and losing love, and finally to the relief and reward of acceptance. Through it all, Lorna remains true to herself. And though she doesn't always think much of the person she is, she emerges from childhood a strong, passionate, and compassionate figure, realizing that--despite all the pain and guilt of growing up with a mentally ill sister, a "sister from the black lagoon"--Lonnie represents the best and worst of her own life and identity. --Leah Ball
reviewed My Sister from the Black Lagoon : A Novel of My Life on + 33 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Coming of age in a dysfunctional family genre - well written, from a girl's point of view.
Claudielou avatar reviewed My Sister from the Black Lagoon : A Novel of My Life on + 77 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Fascinating story of growing up with a sister who has mental-health problems and the toll it takes on the whole family. Beautifully done.
Read All 6 Book Reviews of "My Sister from the Black Lagoon A Novel of My Life"


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