Walking Through Walls by Philip Smith
Release date: 2008 / 329 pages
Synopsis (from back cover): “After a full day of creating beautiful interiors for the rich and famous, Lew Smith would come home, take off his tie, and get down to his real work as a psychic healer who miraculously cured thousands of people…”
First line: “It was late July.”
Review: What a delight this memoir was! And what a surprise on so many different levels… When the author contacted me, here is how he described his work:
The book is the true story of my father, a high society decorator who worked for the Presidents of Cuba and Haiti as well as Walt Disney and Dean Martin and one day discovers that he can talk to the dead and heal the sick.
The book is cross between “Running With Scissors” and “Bewitched.”
I hate to admit that I haven’t read Scissors yet (I know, I know), but the premise above certainly hooked me! As I’ve stated before, a successful memoir must either have a very interesting story to tell (< a type="amzn">The Glass Castle), must be very well-written (The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas) or must have an extremely likeable narrator (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) . Well, < a type="amzn">Walking Through Walls, is the rare find that manages to meld all three…
Smith is the son of a colorful, flamboyant mother and a compassionate, clairvoyant father. Smith’s tone is simply perfect since he helps the reader navigate some pretty unconventional waters. As a boy, Smith would have preferred to be “normal” and tries to fit in with the mainstream — sort of — most of his childhood. He is such a likeable “character” that the reader can’t help but be sympathetic to the various eccentricities and talents his father embraces.
Admittedly, I am very open to the subject matter of “energy” in various forms. I had just listened to a piece on NPR on the placebo effect and it’s importance in traditional medicine. My paternal grandfather was a physics professor and the little physics I have read fascinates me and remains on my eternal “to do” list (must read more about string theory), in college I used my subconscious to find thesis statements (simply by thinking about the topic before falling asleep), and am continually promising I will meditate… sometime… soon.
So, I was very compassionate towards Philip, who took his father for granted a bit — as we all do — until he dies and then finds himself missing this most formative figure in his life terribly. In a sense, this memoir was a bit of a wake-up call — to prioritize my interest in “energy” and integrate this interest more fully into my life.
I think this memoir would be wonderful for a book club for many reasons. First, even if a few members are initially resistant to the initial subject-matter, there is so much to discuss about how parent-child relationships evolve through the years, about finding a unique identity, and in attempting to be open to subjects that are unfamiliar and maybe even a bit disconcerting. In addition, this memoir is a lot of fun and a very fast read, as evidenced in the following passages:
“At the age of ten, I was not about to sit down and simply be the only acid-balanced, nontoxic macrobiotic kid in all of Miami. I wanted a breakfast that was multicolored, made noise, and had been seen on TV.”
“Those southern hicks had no idea what had just whooshed by them as she glided through the A&P with her black patent leather heels, oversized sunglasses the shade of midnight, her black patent leather pocketbook the size of a small footlocker, massive gold and jade earrings, rings on practically every finger, a small pillbox hat wrapped in black iridescent feathers that looked like crows’ wings, and, of course, her gold cigarette holder with an unlit Camel projecting from it. Believe me, at just four-feet-nine, she did not go unnoticed.”
“My father truly wanted to help people and believed that his work could eliminate a lot of physical and mental suffering. Everything he did was based on the simple notion that we are all spiritual beings with tremendous powers. Until we recognized this, nothing would change — there would continue to be wars, disease, and anger.”
Interested in a fun, wild ride? Drop me a comment and I’ll choose a lucky winner soon!
this sounds like a good read; it had been on my wish list so I’d love to enter giveaway.
bibliophilebythesea AT gmail DOT com
thanks
Kristen, You are on a streak of memoir reviews, and this one, with its “well-written text, an extremely likeable narrator, and its interesting story” makes it sound like an intriguing choice. Thank you for your review; please enter me into the giveaway.
Sounds interesting. I would love to give it a try!
Hi! Please enter me in this giveaway. Thanks!
Renee
It sounds like an interesting book. I’d like to read this.
This book sounds great. Would love to read it,
Eileen
felinmanor@aol dot com
Psychic healer…ooh sounds interesting! Hope I get to read it!
I really enjoy memoirs. Can’t say I am a believer in psychic healing though…but it sounds very interesting, and, who knows, I might change my mind!
I love the variety of books that you review. So many, of them, like this one, I wouldn’t hear about otherwise.
Please enter me in the give away.
Thanks,
Meg
Yep, this sounds like a gripping read. Count me in with the wannabe winners.
The book sounds delightful and I’d love to read a really good book right now. I’ve had a dry run lately.
I haven’t seen this book one the shelves at my local bookstores. I would like a chance to read it. A psychic healer… this one has my attention. Count me in!
Memoirs are one of my favorite genres to read. I saw this book awhile back and had added it to my wish list. I would love a chance.
sharon54220@gmail.com
I’d love to win this – please enter me. Thanks!
You have my attention. Please drop my name in the hat.
Sounds like a great book! Please count me in.
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
Walking through Walls sounds like just the kind of book I would enjoy about now.