The Middle Place

A thoroughly enjoyable memoir -- I enjoyed it more than I'd expected to. Though the subject matter was serious, Corrigan writes with enough humor to seem very down-to-earth, & though I can't necessarily relate to specific situations in this book, I feel like I could relate to her as a person -- at times selfish, but ultimately thankful for all those in her life providing love & support. Her father is truly and obviously an inspiration to her. I felt the title was also very aptly named -- "The Middle Place": a place somewhere between growing up & being a grown up, being a child & having children of your own. Very thoughtful & inspiring.

I really enjoyed this memoir about a woman reflecting on her experience in the Middle Place -- sandwiched between caring for her own children and occasionally her parents. The author alternates between reflecting on relationship and history with the family she was born into, especially her father, and dealing with the with the period in 2004-2005 when both she and her father were fighting cancer simultaneously.

Despite the serious subject matter, Kelly Corrigan is funny and lovable about reflecting on a challenging time in her life.

Newspaper columnist Corrigan was a happily married mother of two young daughters when she discovered a cancerous lump in her breast. She was still undergoing treatment when she learned that her beloved father, who'd already survived prostate cancer, now had bladder cancer. Corrigan's story could have been unbearably depressing had she not made it clear from the start that she came from sturdy stock. Growing up, she loved hearing her father boom out his morning HELLO WORLD dialogue with the universe, so his kids would feel like the world wasn't just a safe place but was even rooting for you. As Corrigan reports on her cancer treatment?the chemo, the surgery, the radiation?she weaves in the story of how it felt growing up in a big, show more suburban Philadelphia family with her larger-than-life father and her steady-loving mother and brothers. She tells how she met her husband, how she gave birth to her daughters. All these stories lead up to where she is now, in that middle place, being someone's child, but also having children of her own. Those learning to accept their own adulthood might find strength?and humor?in Corrigan's feisty memoir. show less

It's not just a story of a woman whom is diagnosed with breast cancer, but of her relationships with her family; mother, father, brothers, now and when she was growing up. (and finding she is still growing up.)
She loves her father unconditionally and is working on appreciating her mother. She's working on the relationship with her husband and her growing daughters.
And then there's the issue of working through her cancer and the ongoing cancer of her father.
This is a great book, though I've read various reviews about the author being a whining brat. She is a father's daughter, but not what I would call the current daddy's girl stereo type.
She is intense, she is caring, she has her faults. She confesses to all.
What I enjoyed was the show more wit and that it isn't as intense a "breast cancer" read as one I've read in the past. show less

Yesterday, I finished listening to The Middle Place and wept.

At 36, Kelly Corrigan's life seems perfect. She and her husband are doing well living and working in the Bay Area and she is embracing motherhood with 2 young girls. Even though she is an adult, she still sees herself as George Corrigan's only daughter. Her father, who is described as larger-than-life, still remains a major part of her life. She is in the 'Middle Place' between when our parents are everything and we are the parents. And then things change. Kelly is diagnosed with breast cancer and her father is diagnosed with late-stage bladder cancer. This beautifully told memoir describes Kelly's childhood as a daughter of George Corrigan and her life as she deals not only show more with her own cancer, but as a family member of someone who has cancer.

This book touched me in so many ways. It reminded me of when my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer - the frustration of wanting a solution, a cure and discovering that there are no formulas or flow charts to follow that provide a 'right' answer. It reminded me of dealing with my parents' health issues remotely - and those 'fun' family discussions among siblings about what to do next. But what made me cry was knowing that all of us who are still in 'the middle place' will eventually leave when our parents die, and although we will be fine living our own adult lives, there will be a heartbreaking loss of no longer being someone's daughter. show less

The Middle Place at the surface was a memoir about Kelly Corrigan’s fight against breast cancer. Kelly approached her cancer with every ounce of fight in her being, determined to survive it, beat it and scare it away. When her father was diagnosed with bladder cancer during Kelly’s treatment, she realized that she couldn’t fight her father’s cancer too. In the end, this memoir was so much more about fighting – it was about living, loving and cherishing every moment with people who enter your lives.

Kelly’s descriptions of her father, affectionately called “Greenie,” were charming and humorous. Greenie was one-of-a-kind – a real Irish guy who put faith in God and in a firm handshake. His attitude was infectious. show more Thankfully, Kelly was plucky like her father, and between the two of them, cancer had tough opponents.

I admire Kelly for revealing so much about herself to her readers. She was far from perfect. She was selfish about the love of her father. She was jealous of the adoration her husband felt for his parents. Her kids got on her nerves – as did her brothers, friends and acquaintances. She’s like me. And probably like you too.

What resonated with me about this book was the emotional division one can feel between aging parents and raising children. I am at this point in my life. I am watching my traditionally agile and independent parents become less so – all while battling my sons about their homework, schlepping kids to practice and trying to keep my professional edge. For certain, The Middle Place is not an easy place.

Are you in The Middle Place? Then, I would highly recommend this memoir to you. The good thing about being in the middle, despite its flaws, is that you’re always surrounded by generations of people who love you. Thank God for that. show less

When I started reading THE MIDDLE PLACE I expected to read a memoir about a woman who battled with breast cancer. What I got was a story about an incredible man, George "Greenie" Corrigan, and everything else just seemed to pale in comparison.

This book made me appreciate my own father. Like George Corrigan, my dad has an ability to make a stranger feel as if he or she is the most important person in the right there and then. My mom and I laugh whenever we take him out places because he enjoys just sitting down and striking up a conversation with whomever is closest to him - and he always finds something they are interested in to talk about. It's what made him a fantastic minister and continues to make him a father that I love with all show more my heart today.

Kelly talks about how, as an adult, she is stuck somewhere in the middle place now, between being a daughter and a mother and struggling with finding her place in both roles. This was something I related to on so many levels. It's such a difficult thing - trying to figure out what you are supposed to let go of and what to cling to. I can't say I envied Kelly her parents because, like her, I have supportive, amazing parents who want to be actively involved in my life and, despite the ups and downs we have, I thank God daily for their support.

This book stirred something in me that was very personal. It's a story full of quiet humor, love, strength and vulnerability and well worth the read. show less