DEAR UNIVERSE, I GET IT NOW

Berthiaume’s debut memoir traces critical moments that laid the groundwork for her present career as a writer.

This book follows the long and winding road that led to the author’s mantra: “Be brave. Be you. It’s time.” Her self-described “deep soul dive” departs from the typical memoir structure, with each chapter styled as a letter to “the Universe.” The first handful of missives focus, diarylike, on rites of passage, including moments when the White author witnessed racial and sexual discrimination, physical abuse, and bullying. These accounts offer hints of her budding writing career, but two letters, which share the title “Choosing Writing,” are highlights. The first begins in high school around the year 2000,when she accepted a coveted invitation to attend the prestigious Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, defying parental protests that it overlapped with prom weekend. The second chronicles a college epiphany when she courageously switched majors from marriage and family counseling to a master’s degree program in creative writing. But her initial commitment to the written word was rapidly overcome by marriage, motherhood, and other demands of adult life. Readers won’t be able to help but feel sympathy for Berthiaume as the book goes on; from the early pages, it will be clear to readers that the key to the author’s fulfillment is the ability to devote herself completely to writing. The signoffs to her 23 letters also effectively show the evolution of her self-image, from “forest dweller in an alternate life” to “your overachieving to-do list ninja” to “your well-intentioned advocate (and idiot)” to “one of the awesome ones” and “A.Y., professional writer.” The book also encourages readers to embark on their own brave journeys, with a targeted list of self-reflection questions after each letter and a detailed list of “Bravery Boosters” at the end.

Writers-in-the-making will feel buoyed and validated by this offbeat remembrance.