Cecelia
A Memoir of Lesbian Love and Loss
by Astrid Lindstrom
Cecelia: A Memoir of Lesbian Love and Loss is a rare book indeed. It’s rare to read such an honest and intimate portrayal of two middle-aged women falling deeply in love. And it’s rare to be given the honor of bearing witness to the day-to-day life of a kind, courageous, and devoted caregiver who knows that despite all her efforts, she is going to lose her beloved wife all too soon. Most of us have heard the expression, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Reading Cecelia reminded me that it also takes a village to support both patient and caregiver through a cancer journey. The details of this memoir are so drawn so vividly, I felt that I was right there with Cece and Astrid—in their kitchen, in the woods surrounding their home, in the hospital. Though there is a lot of sorrow in this book, there is also tremendous joy. I will remember this memoir—and Cece—for a very long time.
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--Lesléa Newman, author of I Carry My Mother and I Wish My Father
Upcoming Events
Astrid will sell inscribed copies of her memoir at each of these readings.
Cancer Connection will receive a portion of all book sales there.
At each reading, Astrid will allow time for questions and discussion.
Now On Sale!
Cecelia will be available starting May 1
(in time for Pride Month!)
at:
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Praise for Cecelia
Astrid's warm, skilled, authentic writing is a wonder to read.
Candace Barrett Birk
Astrid writes so beautifully of her unique -- and yet universal -- journey. Cecelia is a great gift to the many lovers who find themselves in the 'sickness' and 'poorer' parts of the vows they made and willingly keep with one another.
Carol Rinehart
Lindstrom weaves love and loss together in alternating chapters. She uses past tense to describe her . . . coming out as a lesbian and her courtship of and . . . marriage to Cecelia. Lindstrom uses present tense, which intensifies emotions, to describe Cece's diagnosis with cancer, multiple treatments, and death . . . Cecelia is a sweet book with an inspiring message for caregivers.
Greenfield Recorder
Your reading this morning was truly exquisite. The selection of poignant bits you read felt so thoughtfully curated.
Cheryl B.
Astrid Lindstrom's memoir, Cecelia . . . is at times a painful read. But it's also a memorial to her late partner and a testament to how Cecelia enriched Lindstrom's life and gave her memories to hold onto . . . As Cece's symptoms worsened, Lindstrom became her main caretaker . . . How she comes through this period is one of the memoir's strongest points.
Daily Hampshire Gazette
Astrid shares her life with Cece and their caring for each other so gently! It is a loving, beautifully written book. I enthusiastically recommend this.
Astrid Lindstrom is a retired English teacher. She grew up in Gambier, Ohio, and earned English degrees from Mount Holyoke College and University of Virginia. Now she enjoys playing violin, contra dancing, and working with her therapy dog. She and her wife Cece lived in Northampton, Massachusetts, where Astrid still resides.