Title: Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father
Author: Alysia Abbott
First published June 3, 2013
326 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780393082524 (ISBN10: 0393082520)
Rating: 4.01
Overview
Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father by Alysia Abbott is a gripping memoir that chronicles her life growing up motherless in San Francisco during the 1970s and 1980s. After her mother’s death, Alysia’s bisexual father, Steve Abbott, moves to San Francisco with his two-year-old daughter in search of a community of like-minded individuals.
The city is a hub of revolution and liberation, but Steve faces the challenge of raising a child in a community that is not accustomed to it. As a result, Alysia and Steve lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving from one apartment to the next and encountering a cast of colorful roommates.
Despite the chaos, Steve exposes Alysia to a world of artists, writers, and thinkers, shaping her worldview in profound ways. However, as she grows older, Alysia struggles to fit in and reconcile her father’s unconventional lifestyle with societal norms.
When Steve falls ill with AIDS, Alysia must choose between continuing her independent life or taking on the responsibility of caring for her father. With the help of her father’s journals, letters, and writings, Alysia reconstructs their life together, giving readers a poignant portrait of a father’s legacy and a daughter’s love.
Fairyland has been recognized as a Stonewall Book Award-Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award Honor Book for 2014.
About the Author
Alysia Abbott, an accomplished author, wrote Fairyland, A Memoir of My Father, which earned recognition as a New York Times Editor’s Choice and an O, The Oprah Magazine selection for summer 2013. Alysia’s writing has been featured in a number of publications, including Vogue, Real Simple, Slate, Salon, TheAtlantic.com, and Psychology Today.
Alysia’s upbringing took place in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. She was the only child of her father, Steve Abbott, who was a gay poet and writer.
After Steve’s passing, Alysia relocated to New York City, where she obtained an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction from New School University and worked at the New York Public Library.
Alysia and her family now reside in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they have lived since 2009.
Editoral Review
Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father by Alysia Abbott is a poignant and beautifully written memoir that explores the complexities of family, identity, and loss. Published in 2013, the memoir is a unique blend of personal narrative, cultural commentary, and historical reflection that offers readers a glimpse into the life of a young girl growing up in San Francisco during the 1970s and 1980s.
Alysia Abbott, the author of Fairyland, is an American writer and journalist who has contributed to a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Slate. In this memoir, Abbott shares her personal journey of growing up as the daughter of a gay father during a time when homosexuality was still stigmatized and marginalized in American society.
The memoir is written in a lyrical and evocative style that brings the San Francisco of the 1970s and 1980s to life with vivid descriptions of the city’s vibrant counterculture, its political upheavals, and its artistic and literary scene. The book is divided into four parts, each of which explores a different aspect of Abbott’s relationship with her father, Steve Abbott, who was a writer, poet, and activist.
The first part of the memoir, entitled “The House on Diamond Street,” introduces readers to Abbott’s childhood home and her father’s circle of friends, which included many prominent writers and artists of the time. We learn about Steve’s struggles as a gay man in a society that was hostile to his sexuality, as well as his fierce dedication to his daughter and his commitment to living an authentic and creative life.
The second part of the memoir, “The Summer of Love,” chronicles Abbott’s teenage years and her growing awareness of her father’s illness, which would eventually claim his life. We see how Steve’s declining health affected his relationship with his daughter and how Abbott struggled to come to terms with her father’s mortality.
The third part of the memoir, “The Years After,” explores Abbott’s journey of self-discovery and her efforts to come to terms with her own identity as a writer, a mother, and a member of the LGBTQ community. We see how her father’s legacy continues to shape her life and her worldview, even after his death.
The final part of the memoir, “The Last Days,” offers a moving and heartfelt account of Steve’s final days and his impact on the people who loved him. It is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a celebration of the enduring power of love.
One of the strengths of Fairyland is Abbott’s skillful use of language and imagery to evoke a sense of time and place. Her descriptions of San Francisco, with its colorful neighborhoods, its political activism, and its vibrant artistic communities, are both vivid and evocative.
Her prose is also infused with a sense of compassion and empathy, which makes the memoir a powerful meditation on the human experience.
Another strength of the memoir is Abbott’s honest and nuanced portrayal of her father, Steve Abbott. She does not shy away from his flaws or his struggles, but she also celebrates his strengths and his accomplishments.
Through her writing, Abbott paints a rich and complex portrait of a man who was both deeply flawed and deeply loved.
One of the limitations of the memoir is that it may be difficult for readers who are not familiar with San Francisco’s counterculture scene to fully appreciate the cultural and historical context in which the memoir is set. However, this is a minor quibble, and it does not detract from the overall power and beauty of the book.
Overall, Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father is a deeply moving and beautifully written memoir that explores the complexities of family, identity, and loss with grace and compassion. It is a must-read for anyone who has experienced loss or who is interested in the history of LGBTQ rights in America.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs or who is looking for a powerful and thought-provoking read.
Rating: 4.5/5
