History of a suicide : my sister's unfinished life

This memoir contains the author's reflections on her much-younger sister Kim's 1990 suicide. It's a sad book, in large part because no answers are readily available to the surviving sibling. The author quotes classic American literature (including Sylvia Plath's poem "Daddy" in its entirety) in an

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attempt to relate her sister's issues to a larger context, but unfortunately, the specifics the author seeks (why did Kim do it?) elude her.

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Bialosky uses the diaries and letters of her younger sister, Kim, to tell the story of Kim's life and death. Kim was only twenty-one when she fought with her boyfriend and chose to kill herself. Bialosky has reflected on the events for twenty years before writing this book, a story that includes

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little poems and reflections from Kim's writings and little stories from the author's own life. It's a poignant memoir.

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I'm torn. I don't want to criticize the author for such a personal and sad story. At times, I found it to be unbearably self-punishing and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone trying to recover from a loved ones suicide. There are some questions that cannot be answered and it is heartbreaking to

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"witness" someone on a search for those unanswered questions.

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Book Title: "History of a Suicide”
Author: Jill Bialosky
Published By: Atria
Age Recommended: 18+
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5

Review: Jill Bialosky takes us on a deeply emotional journey through the life she feels her sister must have lived before ending it. At some points this novel is

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very hard to read as it delves deeply into the emotions of a young woman hurting so bad and not knowing how to ask or who to turn to for help.
This novel is one that will give you a closer look into the mind of a manically depressed woman and brings you to the realization of how they could perceive suicide as an escape. Be prepared to get out the tissues, you’re going to need them.

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Reading this book hit hard on all my emotions. There were times I was moved to tears, I was bored, I was angry, I was heartbroken, I was speechless. Most often, I was frustrated - because this could have been a great book, and it is not.
Jill Bialosky often describes her sister, Kim, as a phantom

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after her suicide. So, too, is Kim a phantom for readers.
I never felt I really came to know Kim, though I very much wanted to. I had pieces: she did drugs, she killed herself, she had a difficult relationship with her father and she loved stuffed animals. But I so wanted a picture - both physically (there are no photos in this book) and emotionally. I wanted to hear from people who knew her other than the author. I wanted to imagine her life, her favorite places and her school days and her passions. I wanted to care very much about her as an individual - but I never really got to know her.
What I did not want, and what permeated the book, was the author's poems, stories about her son and poems by Sylvia Plath. I imagine this helped Bialosky work through her grief, but they are not part of her relationship with her reading audience - they tell us nothing about Jill or Kim, the main characters here, and just drag down the book.
It is a sad book because it is about suicide and despair. But that's a given. How much more extraordinary it would have been if the author had let readers come to know Kim, and see her, and care about her ourselves.

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It was very well-written, a nice balance between academic studies and literature. Obviously it is difficult subject matter and deeply personal but the author did a good job of letting us in and showing us her grief without overwhelming us.