Bigger Than Life - (American Lives) by Dinah Lenney (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Nelson Gross led an outsized life--one in which he played many roles: father, brother, husband, politician, entrepreneur. When he was killed by a couple of teenagers in a botched abduction and robbery, the murder shook his family in predictable and terrible ways. For his daughter, Dinah Lenney, parent of her own young children, the loss sparked a self-reckoning that led to this book, which is both a meditation on grief and a coming-of-age story. By turns funny and sad, frustrating and fulfilling, her candid memoir conducts readers through marriage and divorce, blended and broken families--and, finally, the kinds of conflict that infect the best of us under even the best of circumstances. In the end, Lenney leaves us with the sense that in spite of extraordinary events--as with most families--it is mutual forgiveness and love that lead us to empathy, acceptance, and the will to carry on.

Review Quotes

"A brilliant contribution to autobiographical, literary non-fiction; the author takes us right into her consciousness, and recreates thought and feelings with passion and restraint. This book is a model of engaged and engaging memoir-writing."--Phillip Lopate, author of "Portrait of My Body and The Art of the Personal Essay"--Phillip Lopate (05/11/2006)

"Before his murder, Dinah Lenney's father was "Bigger than Life" but looms larger in death."--Elissa Schappell, "Vanity Fair"--Elissa Schappell"Vanity Fair" (04/01/2007)

About the Author

Dinah Lenney's essays and reviews have appeared the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Ploughshares, Agni, Creative Nonfiction, Brevity, Kenyon Review Online, and elsewhere. She received a Special Mention for her work in the Water-Stone Review and the 2010 Pushcart Prize anthology. Lenney has a BA from Yale University and an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars, where she serves as a member of the core faculty. She also teaches in the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, as well as in the Master of Professional Writing program at the University of Southern California. A working actor in theatre, film, and television, Lenney co-authored Acting for Young Actors and has guest-starred on numerous television shows. You can visit her websites at www.dinahlenney.com and http: //college.usc.edu/thegamut/author/dinahlenney/