Unlocking

"Unlocking" authored by Nancy L. Pressly. A Memoir Of Family And Art. A truly enjoyable read . The author, after being diagnosed with capillary cancer, reconnects with her family through boxes and bags stored in the attic of her childhood home. The reader will become fascinated as one remembers the smells of an attic and anticipation of handling long ago memories and learning about one's own parents. Being surprised by a Valentine or drawing that your mother had loved enough to save all those years.

Unlocking is a sensitive introspective memoir. Nancy covers the gamut of her life from her grandparents to tomjer grandchildren. She has led a full, fascinating life, fraught with pain and major health issues, but complete with family and work. I enjoyed her early family history the most. I also liked reading about her life in NYC during the sixties. She epitomizes the modern woman in all aspects.

A stunningly beautiful memoir about family and finding your place. Nancy Pressly was diagnosed with pancreatic-related cancer at the age of 66 and given a 50% chance of survival. As anyone who has survived, or who knows someone who has survived cancer knows, this can be a very transformative time in a person's life. A life-threatening diagnosis changes everything and makes you look at life completely differently. Nancy responded by getting an urge to organize her house and get her affairs in order. Which lead her to a group of boxes in her attic that she had neglected to look through for a long time. Boxes of stories and of long held family secrets. I think a lot of us are curious to really dig into our family's past beyond what we're told by our parents, and Nancy lived that dream in this memoir.

Accompanied by a series of absolutely beautiful photos, Nancy tells the story of her family as she has come to know it. The story of a group of Jewish refugees fleeing Eastern Europe's increasingly discriminatory laws at the turn of the 20th century and coming to America. Living in the crowded and oftentimes difficult world of Jewish immigrants in New York City, Nancy's family endured trauma, hardship and experienced some of life's greatest joys in only a short amount of time.

This beautiful memoir gave me a new appreciation for the past and even changed my perspective of my own background as I read along. Nancy Pressly writes with the absolute softest touch, relaying details in such a tender and loving way that I found myself tearing up at times about people I don't even know and places I have never been. By the end of the memoir, I felt like I knew her family and had spent many years sharing memories with them.

‘Unlocking’ is a memoir not just about finding your family, but finding yourself as well. When Nancy Pressly was diagnosed with cancer in her late-60’s, she decided to spend some time organizing her home and going through the old, untouched boxes in her attic. What she found there was not only the story of her family but a rich tapestry of love and life that took place over generations. Pressly decided to write her family’s story in this memoir and I am so glad she did because reading this was an absolute treat! I haven’t had my emotions stirred by a memoir like this in quite a long time.

Pressly’s family were originally from Eastern Europe, but came to America in the early 1900’s to get away from increasing anti-Semitism and the discriminatory laws of the time. After they got to America, they faced more turbulent waters as Jewish immigrants living in the sometimes unfriendly turn of the century New York City.

This memoir made me think about my grandparents on both sides who came to America also in the early 1900’s but from Russia, to escape anti-Semitism. I only wish there were a treasure to discover, and Pressly uncovered. My grandparents wouldn’t talk about it so I know very little. I can only imagine from stories I have heard from others.

Pressly’s family, like any family, had both good and bad times and this memoir reflects both in beautifully written detail. But, as I said, this is not just a story about the author’s family, but a transformative tale about the author herself and how learning about her family’s past impacted her view of the future.

Having so recently gone through a battle with cancer, Pressly seemed to view the entire research process with a lot of fervor and what resulted is an incredibly in depth portrait of Jewish refugees in early 20th century America.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves memoirs and history. As a lover of both I was enraptured from start to finish. Nancy Pressly had a wonderful and interesting story to tell and she did it with the delicacy of a loving descendant.

Moving, emotional, inspiring and gripping—all words I would use to describe 'Unlocking: A Memoir of Family and Art' by Nancy Pressly.

If you know me, you know I absolutely love a good memoir. Truth is always stranger than fiction, and the inner struggles and triumphs of people's lives are always so fascinating to me. I love to read these types of books because it makes me feel like I am experiencing the highs and lows of their lives along with them and it is also a great opportunity to have a little cry over a book.
This is the perfect memoir for readers like me. The perfect memoir for memoir-lovers!

In her late 60's, Nancy Pressly was diagnosed with ampullary cancer, a type of cancer that is related to the pancreas. After going through a difficult surgery, chemo and radiation, Pressly found herself at loose ends with what to do next.
Eventually, she decided to fully organize her house and this was when she remembered the boxes of old family belongings that she had stashed away in her attic for years.

Sorting through the old pictures, cards and letters only fueled Pressly with the urge to learn even more about her family and, as she began to do further research, she uncovered a timeless story of family life. This is a story about Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, about a hopeful move to America and small-town life in the 20th century. This is a story about preparing for the end of life by looking deeply at where you started out, and about how your family impacts who you are as a person.

Pressly's writing is profound. She clearly has a great sense of non-fiction story structure and how much detail is just enough.

'Unlocking' gives me a wonderful reading experience and a renewed interest for researching my own family history!