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Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading

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Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading Cover

ISBN13: 9780061999840
ISBN10: 0061999849
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Nina Sankovitch has always been a reader. As a child, she discovered that a trip to the local bookmobile with her sisters was more exhilarating than a ride at the carnival. Books were the glue that held her immigrant family together. When Nina's eldest sister died at the age of forty-six, Nina turned to books for comfort, escape, and introspection. In her beloved purple chair, she rediscovered the magic of such writers as Toni Morrison, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ian McEwan, Edith Wharton, and, of course, Leo Tolstoy. Through the connections Nina made with books and authors (and even other readers), her life changed profoundly, and in unexpected ways. Reading, it turns out, can be the ultimate therapy.

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair also tells the story of the Sankovitch family: Nina's father, who barely escaped death in Belarus during World War II; her four rambunctious children, who offer up their own book recommendations while helping out with the cooking and cleaning; and Anne-Marie, her oldest sister and idol, with whom Nina shared the pleasure of books, even in her last moments of life. In our lightning-paced culture that encourages us to seek more, bigger, and better things, Nina's daring journey shows how we can deepen the quality of our everyday lives—if we only find the time.

Review:

"When Sankovitch lost her older sister to cancer, she was determined to 'live her life double' in order to make up for her family's painful loss. But after three years spent at a frenetic pace, Sankovitch decided to slow down and rediscover the pleasure of books in order to reconnect with the memory of her sister. Despite the day-to-day responsibilities of raising four sons — and the holidays, vacations, and sudden illnesses that accompany a large family — Sankovitch vowed to read one book a day for an entire year and blog about it. In this entertaining bibliophile's dream, Sankovitch (who launched ReadAllDay.org and was profiled in the New York Times) found that her 'year of magical reading' was 'not a way to rid myself of sorrow but a way to absorb it.' As well as being an homage to her sister and their family of readers, Sankovitch's memoir speaks to the power that books can have over our daily lives. Sankovitch champions the act of reading not as an indulgence but as a necessity, and will make the perfect gift from one bookworm to another. (June)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Synopsis:

“NinaSankovitch has crafted a dazzling memoir that remindsus of the most primal function of literature-to heal, to nurture and to connectus to our truest selves." —Thrity Umrigar, author of The Space Between Us

Catalyzedby the loss of her sister, a mother of four spends one year savoring a greatbook every day, from Thomas Pynchon to Nora Ephron and beyond. In the tradition ofGretchen Rubins The Happiness Project and Joan DideonsA Year of Magical Thinking, Nina Sankovitchssoul-baring and literary-minded memoir is a chronicle of loss,hope, and redemption. Nina ultimately turns to reading as therapy andthrough her journey illuminates the power of books to help us reclaim ourlives.

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About the Author

Nina Sankovitch launched ReadAllDay.org in 2008, and at the end of her year of reading, she was profiled in the New York Times. She continues to review books on ReadAllDay.org and for the Huffington Post. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and four sons.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 4 comments:
MMLittleOC, January 1, 2013 (view all comments by MMLittleOC)
I started to give this book 4 stars, but had to give the extra one just based on how many people I will gift with this book. I felt it spoke so well to dealing with grief and the healing power of great writers.

The five stars shouldn't indicate that I had no issues with the book. I can't imagine a woman with a husband and four children having the time or energy to read a book a day--even if they are under 300 hundred pages most days. I found myself wondering how her great experiment affected her family.

But unlike many books about books which give brief reviews of books or list suggestions for reading, Sankovitch relates the lessons from the books she's read. Spoilers abound, so if she begins to discuss something on a TBR pile, I suggest skipping that section. However, as someone who reads for the writing, characters, etc. more than plot, I'm okay with the spoilers. And she relates the books to her family, her sister, and her grief in such a way to show how great books unite us.
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dkgold2, January 1, 2012 (view all comments by dkgold2)
This is a book for book lovers and a lovely read! Nina Sankovitch has a yearly goal of reading one book a day for a year. It's her way of dealing with her grief when her oldest sister dies suddenly. She turns to books for comfort and solitude. Detailing this year long journey of her reading, in her favorite purple chair, is inspiring & heart wrenching. But I came away feeling that it is also about our love and need for books, helping us explore what books mean to readers and how we use the greater truths that can be found through the written word to help us in our own lives. It is truly a lovely read.
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readerlicious, September 20, 2011 (view all comments by readerlicious)
I am a voarcious reader but reading a book a day for a year is more than I could handle. Hooray for Nina for accomplishing her goal and sharing what she learned with us along the way. The book list alone is worth the price of the book. Rather than a boring list this memoir includes deep family connections along with personal insights and memories. Allowing children to bring their favorite books to the dinner table is the kind of family I wish to live in. I liked the combination of a memoir with a focus on reading a lot. This is a really wonderful book.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780061999840
Author:
Sankovitch, Nina
Publisher:
Harper
Subject:
Biography - General
Copyright:
2011
Edition Description:
Hardcover
Publication Date:
20110631
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
256
Dimensions:
12 x 9 in 37.60 oz
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Related Subjects


Biography » General
Biography » Literary
Children's » General
Featured Titles » Biography
Featured Titles » Humanities
Humanities » Literary Criticism » General
Reference » Books on Books
Reference » Reading

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$9.50 In Stock
Product details 256 pages Harper - English 9780061999840 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "When Sankovitch lost her older sister to cancer, she was determined to 'live her life double' in order to make up for her family's painful loss. But after three years spent at a frenetic pace, Sankovitch decided to slow down and rediscover the pleasure of books in order to reconnect with the memory of her sister. Despite the day-to-day responsibilities of raising four sons — and the holidays, vacations, and sudden illnesses that accompany a large family — Sankovitch vowed to read one book a day for an entire year and blog about it. In this entertaining bibliophile's dream, Sankovitch (who launched ReadAllDay.org and was profiled in the New York Times) found that her 'year of magical reading' was 'not a way to rid myself of sorrow but a way to absorb it.' As well as being an homage to her sister and their family of readers, Sankovitch's memoir speaks to the power that books can have over our daily lives. Sankovitch champions the act of reading not as an indulgence but as a necessity, and will make the perfect gift from one bookworm to another. (June)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
"Synopsis" by , “NinaSankovitch has crafted a dazzling memoir that remindsus of the most primal function of literature-to heal, to nurture and to connectus to our truest selves." —Thrity Umrigar, author of The Space Between Us

Catalyzedby the loss of her sister, a mother of four spends one year savoring a greatbook every day, from Thomas Pynchon to Nora Ephron and beyond. In the tradition ofGretchen Rubins The Happiness Project and Joan DideonsA Year of Magical Thinking, Nina Sankovitchssoul-baring and literary-minded memoir is a chronicle of loss,hope, and redemption. Nina ultimately turns to reading as therapy andthrough her journey illuminates the power of books to help us reclaim ourlives.
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