Email a friendThe Middle Place
The NEW YORK TIMES bestseller, now in paperback!
“An amazing story told with steep honesty. The Middle Place is memoir at its highest form.”
—Darin Strauss, author of More Than It Hurts You and The Real McCoy
For Kelly Corrigan, family is everything. At thirty-six, she had a marriage that worked, two funny, active kids, and a weekly newspaper column. But even as a thriving adult, Kelly still saw herself as the daughter of garrulous Irish-American charmer George Corrigan. She was living deep within what she calls the Middle Place—“that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap”—comfortably wedged between her adult duties and her parents’ care. But Kelly is abruptly shoved into coming-of-age when she finds a lump in her breast--and gets the diagnosis no one wants to hear. When George, too, learns that he has late-stage cancer, it is Kelly’s turn to take care of the man who had always taken care of her—and to show us a woman who finally takes the leap and grows up.
Kelly lives deep within what she calls the Middle Place—“that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap”—comfortably wedged between her adult duties and her parents’ care. But she’s abruptly shoved into a coming-of-age when she finds a lump in her breast—and gets the diagnosis no one wants to hear. And so Kelly’s journey to full-blown adulthood begins. When George, too, learns he has late-stage cancer, it is Kelly’s turn to take care of the man who had always taken care of her—and show us a woman as she finally takes the leap and grows up.
Kelly Corrigan is a natural-born storyteller, a gift you quickly recognize as her father’s legacy, and her stories are rich with everyday details. She captures the beat of an ordinary life and the tender, sometimes fractious moments that bind families together. Rueful and honest, Kelly is the prized friend who will tell you her darkest, lowest, screwiest thoughts, and then later, dance on the coffee table at your party.
Funny, yet heart-wrenching, The Middle Place is about being a parent and a child at the same time. It is about the special double-vision you get when you are standing with one foot in each place. It is about the family you make and the family you came from—and locating, navigating, and finally celebrating the place where they meet. It is about reaching for life with both hands—and finding it.
For Kelly Corrigan, family is everything
“If you’re in a book club or just love to read, make sure this book ends up in your lap, where it will remain until you finish. Plan to laugh, cry, and be consumed by Kelly Corrigan.”
—Winston-Salem Journal
“Bravely reveals the frightened daughter inside the grown-up wife and mother.”
—Elle
“Come for the writing, stay for the drama. Or vice-versa. Either way, you won’t regret it.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“The Middle Place is a memoir that reads like a novel and sings like an Irish tenor. When Kelly Corrigan writes, she makes you want to come home.”
—Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean and Still Summer
“For two days I ignored my family while I devoured Kelly Corrigan’s memoir, The Middle Place. I spent a good part of that time crying, but mostly I was laughing. In the tradition of the best memoirists (Anne Lamott and Anna Quindlen come to mind) she captures our hearts and teaches us something new about family, love, and yes, even death.”
— Ayelet Waldman, author of Love and Other Impossible Pursuits
“I haven’t become so immediately caught up in or so compelled by a book in ages…Kelly Corrigan’s lightning-fast ability to establish that rare, mysterious bond between book and reader overwhelmed me. There are all sorts of things to be said about her bravery, and about what she can explain to many of us about illness, but this is a wonderful book about being alive.”
— Robb Forman Dew, author of The Truth of the Matter and The Time of Her Life
“The Middle Place is inspiring, luminous, and true. Reading this memoir, I felt like an honorary member of the Corrigan family . . . Kelly Corrigan is a wonderful writer.”
—Luanne Rice, author of What Matters Most
“Kelly Corrigan has a great sense of humor, an honest voice, and a brilliant way of telling it like it is—but that’s just for starters. It’s her heart that really counts. The Middle Place is a love letter to family and home and life.”
—Linda Greenlaw, author of The Hungry Ocean and Slipknot
“Kelly Corrigan's utterly absorbing memoir, The Middle Place, is wry, smart, and often heart wrenching. Corrigan takes us down memory lane and then, at the same time, down some other, darker road most of us hope never to travel. Yet we follow her all the way, quite willingly, I might add, thanks to her sharp eye for the details and her great sense of humor.”
—Cynthia Kaplan, author of Why I'm Like This and Leave the Building Quickly
“Kelly Corrigan takes what might have been a fairly standard story of survival, and reframed it, most charmingly, as a coming of age narrative. We see here a headstrong girl, under the most severe adversity, turn into a genuinely strong woman.”
—Carolyn See, author of Making a Literary Life
“An amazing story told with steep honesty, buckets of humor and, above all, integrity. The Middle Place is memoir at its highest form.”
—Darin Strauss, author of The Real McCoy and Chang and Eng
"It made me laugh out loud and brought back some childhood memories…
it made me tear up at the losses that none of us escapes…
Most importantly, this book showed that love—of family and friends—makes the good times better and the bad times ‘not-quite so-bad .’
Whether you came from a big, bustling Irish family ( I did) or not, you can feel the camaraderie and strength and laughter of the Corrigan family.
I loved the book and will pass it along to my daughters."
—Anonymous
“I devoured The Middle Place. I found it heartwarming and the characters endearing. The book was reminiscent of hours spent with my family. I’d recommend it to anyone who has lived and loved.”
—Dotsie Bregenl, Founder, BoomerWomenSpeak.com
“I just finished reading The Middle Place and thoroughly enjoyed it. At first I thought I wouldn't "get into it" since I am not a breast cancer survivor and couldn't relate. That was definitely wrong as the book was much more about adult children's relationships with their parents which I could relate to! After I finished it, I passed it on to two friends, sisters, who have not made the break from their parents and are in their late 50s and early 60s. The characters were real, well-drawn and so much so that I wished I had had a father like Greenie. I would recommend this book as it was easy reading but with real content. Thanks so much for sending it.”
—Mary Seeman
“I just finished The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. I loved it! I found the characters were very well developed, charming, and warm yet real. The story was poignant but penned with humor and love. It was a quick read since I couldn't put it down! Thanks for allowing me the opportunity of reading and reviewing this novel!
—Randi Odierno
“A wonderful memoir, engrossing and a delicious read! I enjoyed reading about this strong woman's survival in a life filled with strife and keeping her sense of humor throughout. Kudos for Ms. Corrigan!”
—Muzzley
"I just finished reading The Middle Place and simply loved every minute of it. I appreciated Kelly Corrigan's genuine take on life as a mother, daughter, wife, friend, not to mention cancer survivor. The struggles that she encounters make her stronger and the reader feels like she is right there with her very step of the way. I liked the format that Kelly uses as we are in the present with her and then back to her childhood, young adulthood, etc. I know that many people will be able to relate to the themes and characters in The Middle Place. Thank you for giving me the chance to read such a gem of a book and thank you to Kelly for being so open and real, way to go!"
—Beth MacMullan
"Kelly's voice is like a good friend sitting at your table finishing off a cup of coffee or if you prefer a glass of wine. In a time where often the husband is portrayed as the guy who does everything wrong, it was a delight to read when she acknowledged the oh, so right things her husband Edward does through out the story."
—Tammie McElligott
"I just finished reading The Middle Place. It is an easy read about an Irish Catholic woman with cancer who is in the middle place in life of being a wife and mother along with being a daughter to elderly parents. She makes it all so funny. Her father gets cancer at the same time and they share with each other what it feels like. She has a great sense of humor. The story goes back and forth from present time to her past memories. If I were to write a book, it would be like this one. Now that I am finished, I want to read it again! She makes fun of herself and her relationships with her family. This book really makes you appreciate family. I highly recommend you go out and buy this book!”
—Varina52
