About Alice

Calvin Trillin

12/18/2007

Just when you're sure the only romance to be found is in novels, a book like About Alice is published. Calvin Trillin was married to Alice for over 35 years. She survived lung cancer when they were married about ten years. The radiation treatments weakened her heart, causing its failure 25 years later.He is a humorist and author; Alice often featured in his columns in the New Yorker. She also was the focus of some of his books, so his audience felt like they knew her.

In About Alice he brings her back again, revealing the special woman she was. Although short (less than 100 pages) it's a telling homage to her. He never gets maudlin - in fact he avoided grieving in these pages, although at times they had to have been hard to write. This is an upbeat telling of what Alice was like - her strength and personality more than what she did.

This is a charming book that will lift your spirits. I hope someone feels they can write like this about me after my death. Alice was a lucky woman - or Calvin was a lucky man - actually both - when they found each other.

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