Grealy's memoir is a sensitive account of the relationship between physical appearance and self-esteem. It is a story of courage and resilience in the face of adversity. It describes the psychological, social, and cultural implications of an ailment.
At nine years of age, Lucy loses half her jaw to Ewing's sarcoma. In the early stages of the disease and treatment, she does not comprehend the significance or the implications of her condition. After more than two years of surgeries, radiation treatment, and intensive chemotherapy, she realizes the impact of the illness and disfigurement. The narrative incorporates several childhood events. Her awareness of people staring at her face, her attempts to hide her face with her hair, and a feeling of joy on Halloween, when she could mask her face are heart-wrenching.
The book describes the impact of Lucy's disease on her family relationships. Lucy belongs to an Irish immigrant family that copes with displacement. They face economic difficulties too. Lucy's mother raises five children, battles depression, and endures the agony of Lucy's illness. She teaches Lucy to 'be brave' and 'not to cry.' Lucy soon realizes the need to suppress her grief for the sake of her mother's wellbeing. She blames herself for her mother's depression, the family arguments, and the financial woes. She prefers the hospital to home because the hospital staff and patients expect nothing from her.
When Lucy grows up, she starts getting self-conscious about her appearance. She decides to 'fix her face' to make her life bearable. She undergoes another series of reconstructive surgeries. Unfortunately, the skin grafts fail and leave her face permanently disfigured.
Finally, Lucy resolves to stop looking at the mirror. She rebuilds her life with a remarkable combination of stoicism, wit, and dignity. Her love for writing enables her to define her identity. The importance of her appearance fades, and the memoir transcends the narrative of disfigurement and cultural oppression to become a story of determination and self-acceptance.
