Confessions of a Former Child by Daniel J. Tomasulo
February 24th, 2009Title: Confessions of a Former Child
Author: Daniel J. Tomasulo
Publisher: Graywolf Press (2008)
This book drew me in because I liked the title and I am interested in psychology. I always thought it would been neat to go into that field…but then I learned psychology would have required much more schooling than I was willing to go through. Also, I’m not smart enough. But enough about me…I was hoping this would be a pretty light hearted book and a fast read, and it was!
Confessions of a Former Child: A Therapist’s Memoir by Daniel J. Tomasulo was a really funny look back at his childhood. He is a fantastic storyteller so I was able to fly through this book with ease. Most of the chapters have stories from his childhood and a story from his therapy practice, which are obviously woven together to make sense. I found myself laughing out loud on a number of occasions as he built up the stories. You could see where it was going, but he does a nice job of drawing it out just the right length of time. The funniest chapter was about his friend trying to prove that his father owned a gun and then later Tomasulo’s first attempt at running a marathon. These were the funniest because they both involved poop and I still think that is funny. Because I am immature. (Question: Do you know when poop is less funny? Answer: When it is a product of a dog and it is sitting on the floor when you wake up in the morning. Not as funny.)
The book took over 10 years to write and you can tell it was very therapeutic to write. There are a couple of chapters that are about his realization of how he became who he is today and the history of his family. I don’t really know who he is, but I was interested in reading that stuff anyway. I think that shows how good of a storyteller he is.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick laugh and an easy read. It was fun to read.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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February 24th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I got only a few chapters into this book before putting is aside for something else. But your review does make me want to pick it up and give it another try. Thanks!
September 26th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I have just finished reading”Confessions of a Former Child;” a memior, which I completed in one sitting. I could not put it down! It was a light read, albeit humuorous one. When I read the chapter titled the same, I laughed so hard that tears were running down my cheeks and my sides ached. When my husband arrived home, I read the chapter to him and the laughter was repeated. I related to the memior on so many different levels; from being Irish and married to an Italian, all the way to working with individuals with developmental disabilities. Furthermore, I have a strong connection to Vero Beach, Florida, where Dr. Tomasula,s, Sister, Donna Roberts, resides. I also lived in Vero Beach for seventeen years, moving back to New Jersey in 2002. It is a place I frequent, as my three children still live there.
I had the good fortune of Dr. Tomasula speaking at our agency’s staff conference where, after hearing him speak about, and read, a couple of chapters from his soon to be published next book, I knew I had to get my hands on “Confessions of a Former Child.”
Gina