The Center of the Universe: A Memoir

by: Nancy Bachrach

Published by: Alfred A. Knopf

Reviewed by Beth Cummings

This highly amusing and often achingly sad story is both Nancy Bachrach’s memoir and the story of her mother, Lola. Lola believes she is ”the center of the universe” and in some ways for her family she truly is. Lola suffers from bi-polar manic depression. During Nancy’s childhood, Lola veers wildly from a funny, fun, energetic, and a bit peculiar mother to an unreasonable, sad and completely unreliable presence in the lives of her three children.

Nancy’s ever-patient father, Mort, would always say that Lola was just “under too much pressure” when she began to feel unlike herself. In truth, Lola had been sexually abused as a child. Lola’s mother had also suffered from a similar mental disability while Lola grew up under the guidance of her dance-hall performer aunt.

Despite the almost constant state of tragedy in her life, Nancy Bachrach, the adult advertising executive, is able to reach into the difficult situations and pull out the humor as well as the pathos. The book does not follow a linear timeline. Adult episodes are interspersed with childhood memories – and often then the insight to understand what had heretofore been only an unusual memory.

At the start of the book, Nancy receives a call while in Paris that she must come home to Providence, Rhode Island because her parents have both been in a serious accident on their boat and her father has died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Her mother is hanging on to life by a thread and isn’t expected to live. But she does – with a severe case of aphasia (loss of memory). In part due to the exertions of Nancy’s siblings, a doctor and a psychiatrist, Lola receives the help she needs. Her recovery is almost amazing.

Nancy Bachrach has done a marvelous job of portraying her parents, siblings and others who touch their lives with colorful details – both physical and verbal. I really began to feel that I knew these people.

I would highly recommend The Center of the Universe to anyone who enjoys memoirs as well as to those who have had to deal with familial psychiatric problems.

Armchair Interviews says: A 5-star memoir of a difficult subject.

Author’s Web site: http://www.NancyBachrach.com