Review: Glitter and Glue

When she was growing up, Kelly Corrigan’s father was the encouraging cheerleader of the family.  Optimistic and upbeat, his children knew he believed in them.  Her mother, on the other hand, was the more serious enforcer.  Her mother described them this way:

Your father’s the glitter but I’m the glue.

Corrigan always felt closer to her father and somewhat distant from her mother and all her rules.  After college, Corrigan and a friend decided to travel and ended up having to get jobs in Australia when their funds ran out.  It was there, as the nanny to two children whose mother had recently passed away, that Corrigan began to have a new appreciation for her mother.

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan is a memoir about Corrigan’s relationship with her parents.  Her father was always the fun one who encouraged his children to reach for the stars while her mother was the one who would remind them to brush their teeth.  While Corrigan loved them both, she felt herself drawn more to her father and his vibrant personality until she faced difficulties in her life and realized what a great balance they are.

I enjoyed Glitter and Glue and could relate to much of it, because my parents were much the same as Corrigan’s, but I think I realized the importance of both of their personalities earlier than Corrigan.  Still, I found the book to be thoughtful and thought provoking and would recommend it to those who enjoy memoirs.

Review copy provided by Penguin Random House.  I am an Indiebound Affliate.