Monday, July 20, 2009

4. Breakfast With Tiffany: An Uncle's Memoir
by Edwin John Wintle

I was at the library, browsing the biography section, and this title jumped out at me. Anyone who knows how many times I've seen Breakfast at Tiffany's could probably understand why.

Ed Wintle is a single gay man in his early 40s, living and working in Manhattan. Although happy with his nice, orderly life, Ed has a growing sense that something is missing. After frequent phone calls from his at-her-wit's-end sister, he offers to take in her troubled daughter Tiffany, and she eventually takes him up on it. Within the space of eight days, Ed's life is turned completely upside down. This book contains the story of Ed and Tiffany's first year together. Tiffany's home life has been volatile, and while she wants to escape it, that's the only type of environment she knows. Her misguided attempts to recreate it frustrate both Ed and the reader. Ed and Tiffany have had a loving and supportive relationship as uncle and niece, and while the transition from friend to parent is difficult and full of challenges, it is utlimately beautiful and rewarding.

Breakfast With Tiffany is so well written and so well paced, I flew through it. Hours passed and I didn't even notice. (There went my Sunday.) You can probably tell that I loved it. Ed Wintle is a witty, smart and self-deprecating writer who makes you feel privileged to be part of his journey. His humor and warmth invite you in and don't let you leave.

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