Luke Holland on Abigail Thomas's Safekeeping

             Abigail Thomas’s book, Safekeeping, follows the life of the author as she struggles to support her family and find love.  Thomas uses a form of “flash non-fiction” in which she writes short chapters about specific instances from her life.  The order of these snippets of her life at times seem random but also flows like a novel.  I found Thomas’s book to be a very interesting read due to the unique style that she implements and the way it flows from chapter to chapter.

            Thomas begins the book by describing her life before meeting one of her husbands.  She uses short, descriptive sentences to convey the feelings that she is remembering.  She changes her point of view from first to third person and at times even uses second person.  Since this is a work of non-fiction, the change in point of view may allow her to be truthful without revealing too much about her personal life, while also keeping the reader interested.  Thomas’s use of description and simile really jumped out to me when she describes a memory she had of her second husband, “A deity at breakfast, talking with his mouth full, and the crumbs shooting forth became the stars and galaxies.”  By describing her second husband’s mannerisms in such a way, the creative side of Thomas’s memories becomes apparent.  The fact that she associated something as complex as stars and the galaxies with such a mundane act like chewing with your mouth open portrays the authors deeper insight into her experiences.  Thomas’s descriptive writing continues as she begins to tell the story of her life.   

            As the book continues, the story reads more like a novel as the author begins to describe her various marriages and how her life unfolds.  She gives in depth description into the culture of the mid to late twentieth century and further portrays her change from a naïve girl to an “experienced” adult.  Her story unfolds slowly through her emotional depictions of numerous events in her life.  In my opinion, the epitome of her emotions occurs after her father’s death when she receives his stone collection, “She couldn’t open them.  She wanted the moment to be right; she didn’t want to do this just any-time; she was waiting to feel in the exact center of something.”  By expressing her emotions through this one experience in her past, the author effectively appeals to her audience.  The idea of sentimental value gives Thomas a sense of meaning and leads to self-reflection.  However, she unceremoniously opens the stones in the next paragraph, which shows her humanity. 

            I thoroughly enjoyed Safekeeping because the author adequately appealed to my emotions through her memoirs.  The purpose of non-fiction is to give something to your audience and Thomas does so through her use of honesty and self-expression.  She utilized a unique style, which was hard to follow at times but ultimately leads to a thoughtful and enjoyable story.