I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb

"A deep study of what makes us who we are, nature versus nurture. The struggles we face when defending our family, both loving and feeling so frustrated with them at times, not always knowing which way is up. It was a deep, emotional read but it was worth it and I'm really glad I finally read it."

5 Stars

Pros: A deep study of family ties, how we're all different, how we all struggle and in the end, what makes us who we are. 

Cons: Though Dominick's frustrations are understandable, he, at times, can come off as a real jerk/The ending was all rather convenient but it worked, it felt right and I'm glad it ended the way it did.  

Full Review: 

As a way to try stop the impending war of Desert Storm, one October afternoon, Thomas Birdsey, a paranoid schizophrenic, walks into the Three Rivers Public Library, asks that his sacrifice be enough and promptly amputates his own hand. The aftermath and struggle that his brother Dominick must go through to try and play damage control, that he feels he's always been doing when it comes to his twin brother, is gut wrenching, frustrating but understandable all at the same time. People show their true colors and not all of it is, most of it really, is ugly and unappealing. 

Through everything, Dominick has been reading the history that his Grandfather left behind. It's all about Domenico Onofio Tempesta's life and what he's had to do to become a prosperous, respectable man in America after leaving Sicily with his two brothers. He is a savvy business man, clever and sly and manages to get ahead. But in his social life, he is angry, he is cruel, and he is arrogant and dark and demands respect. Anger and violence consume him and at the end leave him with basically nothing. After finishing his Grandfather's manuscript, Dominick realizes that he's more like his Grandfather than he ever wanted to be and so he takes steps to change all of that. 

With the aftermath of getting Thomas released from the Hospital, struggles within his own relationships and everything else, Dominick really does end up growing as a person. It's a hard road, one with a lot of speed bumps and pot holes that he falls face first into, but at the same time, he always manages to get himself out and drag himself back up. 

It's a deep, rough, emotional read and once I finished it, it stayed with me for a long time afterward. I found myself thinking about it long into the night and taking the lesson that, humility, patience, forgiveness and love are really the key factors of a good life. And I like to think that I try to practice these each and every day. It was difficult read but well worth it and I'd recommend it to anyone who's struggled in anyway in life cause in the end, there are just some things in life that you know are true. We've all been through a lot and what matters most is how you react to the situations in your life and what you decide to do with the knowledge you've gained.