Melanie Shankle

the million little pieces that make up a life

Church of the small things

Celeste Richardson

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up.

Melanie Spankle is such an entertaining storyteller. I’m not the biggest fan of nonfiction in general or memoirs in particular, but she has a way of spinning a tale that makes me laugh and think. This book was her thoughts on a variety of different aspects of her life, from childhood to marriage to parenthood to friendship and spirituality.

I was entertained, but it honestly didn’t feel very original. I know there’s nothing new under the sun, but I felt like I had read this book before when I read another book of hers (The Antelope in the Living Room), just with slightly more variance. I love her voice, and feel like we would be friends. There were even times when she would tell a story that I swear up and down happened to me in exactly the same way. She makes me laugh. However, she tends to retell the same story, just in different ways. After a while, even the funniest stories stop eliciting the same response. 

In spite of this, there were chapters that moved me. One chapter in particular, where Melanie was talking about a friend who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and how their group of friends rallied around her, moved me to tears. Melanie was a way of bringing you into the moment with her.

Honestly, I feel like my problems with this book were just that: mine. As I said, I’m not the biggest fan of nonfiction or memoirs, which I’m pretty sure is the main reason I didn’t love this book. I did like it, though! If you’re a fan of memoirs, especially those that are mostly light but have moments of depth, you should give this one a try.

Church of the small things the million little pieces that make up a life

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