The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty
Reviewed by Claudine
Reading this book brings back to mind this particular part in the movie Forrest Gump where Gump took off on a 3 year run after the woman he loved, Jenny, left him suddenly. It was a journey he took to reflect on his life, though of course he did not realize it initially. Likewise, in this book, 43 year old Smithson Ide who weighs, eats and drinks too much, goes on an impromptu unprepared bicycle journey after the death of his parents in a car crash, coupled by the devastating news of the death of his long lost sister who had gone missing for 20 years.
Written entirely in his voice, he relates directly to us as if we were his companions on the journey, sharing flashbacks about his family and in particular, about his sister, Bethany, who suffered some kind of mental disorder, triggering various traumatic episodes the family underwent because of her bizarre behaviour.
What I like about the writing is though Smithson narrates in a matter-of-fact way, it underpins underlying emotions he is experiencing which are found, for example, in his phone conversations with Norma, his neighbour and childhood friend who though confined in a wheelchair, reveals a strength which is admirable. The silences in between their conversations tugs at your heart and the moments in which they catch up with each other during his bicycle journey, over the lost years since she had her accident, is truly touching.
Smithson finds himself in all kinds of ironic and comic situations – taken for a homeless street person, a pervert, a would-be robber, he is treated with hostility, threats and is manhandled by cops and shot at. Yet on the other hand, he meets with kindness and connects with people along the journey, affirming the idea that goodness can also be found in the midst of gloom.
Yet for all the dark memories and incidents in the book, there are also some beautiful ones. For those who had watched Forrest Gump, you might recall the scene where he described to Jenny, who was by then his wife and suffering from a terminal illness, the many breathtaking landscapes he had seen when he was on his 3 year run. Smithson encounters some of these magic scenic moments peppering his travel and recounting happy memories of his sister during her periods of lucidity also makes the journey bearable for both him and us.
All in all, this book reminds us to take time off to reflect and reconnect with our lives and with those who really matter to us, for Smithson emerges more whole as a person and certain of where he is headed and what he wants in his life and my heart was warmed by the end of the book.
