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Even When Trapped Behind Clouds: A Memoir of Quiet Grace
FINALIST in the 2016/2017 Reader Views Literary Awards.
"Patty Somlo’s picturesque writing, combined with her search for meaning in home and relationships and reflections on the world around her, make When Trapped Behind Clouds worth it. It’s an attractive and compelling story with a larger meaning." Hannah Straton, Hippocampus Magazine.
The daughter of an often-absent career Air Force officer and a depressed alcoholic mother, Patty Somlo grows up constantly on the move. Incapable of finding a permanent home, developing long-term relationships, or even learning to drive, Somlo continues through adulthood adrift.
From the lush tropical paradise of Hawaii to fog-shrouded San Francisco and the rugged, wind-swept Washington coast, Somlo explores the places she has lived in order to find her way back home. In this intimate work, she shares with us her deep love of nature and the role it has played in helping her heal.
Often funny and deeply moving, this is both a beautifully written, lyrical, personal memoir, and an honest exploration of the challenges and possibilities for psychological healing through the places in our lives.
"Patty Somlo’s picturesque writing, combined with her search for meaning in home and relationships and reflections on the world around her, make When Trapped Behind Clouds worth it. It’s an attractive and compelling story with a larger meaning." Hannah Straton, Hippocampus Magazine.
The daughter of an often-absent career Air Force officer and a depressed alcoholic mother, Patty Somlo grows up constantly on the move. Incapable of finding a permanent home, developing long-term relationships, or even learning to drive, Somlo continues through adulthood adrift.
From the lush tropical paradise of Hawaii to fog-shrouded San Francisco and the rugged, wind-swept Washington coast, Somlo explores the places she has lived in order to find her way back home. In this intimate work, she shares with us her deep love of nature and the role it has played in helping her heal.
Often funny and deeply moving, this is both a beautifully written, lyrical, personal memoir, and an honest exploration of the challenges and possibilities for psychological healing through the places in our lives.
275 pages, Paperback
Published October 4, 2016
About the author
Patty Somlo
14 books25 followersPatty Somlo was born in Cleveland, Ohio. The granddaughter of immigrants, Somlo grew up in a military family that moved constantly. Her nomadic childhood has fueled her passion for writing about immigrants, refugees, the homeless and the dispossessed. She spent ten years as a reporter before deciding to concentrate on short fiction and creative nonfiction. Her focus as a journalist on social issues reporting continues to inform her fiction. She has published three short story collections, From Here to There and Other Stories (Paraguas Books, 2010), The First to Disappear (Spuyten Duyvil, 2016), a Finalist in the 2016 International Book Awards, the 2016 Best Book Awards and the 2017 National Indie Excellence Awards, and Hairway to Heaven Stories (Cherry Castle Publishing, 2018), and a memoir, Even When Trapped Behind Clouds: A Memoir of Quiet Grace (WiDo Publishing, 2016), which won Honorable Mention in the 2016/2017 Reader Views Literary Awards. She won Honorable Mention in Fiction in the 2017 Women's National Book Association National Writing Contest and was a Finalist in the Adelaide Voices Literary Award for Short Story, She has received four Pushcart Prize nominations, been nominated for Best of the Net and storySouth’s Million Writers Award, and had an essay selected as a Notable Essay of 2013 for Best American Essays 2014. www.pattysomlo.com; Follow on Twitter: @PattySomlo.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 23, 2018
I've been meaning to review this forever. I'm not a traditional reviewer, I don't do a plot summary. I keep it simple. 1) so many parts of this book reminded me of times in my own life. We crossed over in terms of places I love (San Francisco, Hawaii), time periods, family craziness, etc. 2) I thought the healing part of the memoir felt "true" - so many times it doesn't in memoirs. As a therapist, this writer's healing made sense to me. 3) Her writing is beautiful. You know when you're reading an experienced writer, and she is one. Solid read.
December 5, 2016
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (11/16)
Patty Somlo was raised by a military officer father who was usually absent, both physically and mentally from her life, and a mother who suffered from depression and alcoholism. Their life in the military involved moving constantly. This made it harder to create and maintain close friendships. As a result, this left her with a lot of time by herself. As Patty writes her memoir, “Even When Trapped Behind Clouds,” she takes us on a journey through different memories. In each poignant moment, she includes a lot of detail about the natural beauty of the places where she had her most memorable experiences whether they be good or bad.
Her best childhood memories involve living in Hawaii. From there, she moved to the east coast and then even over to Europe. As an adult, she ended up spending a lot of time in northern California and further up in the Northwest. Even while living in the city of San Francisco, she often reflects upon the beautiful experiences she had while hiking. As she writes, it is obvious that there was a lot of sadness and pain in her soul because she did not have healthy, whole parents. Even after they divorced, things did not improve. This had an impact on her personal relationships. When Patty went into therapy, her eyes were opened as to why she was attracting the wrong type of man for herself. After healing occurred, she was able to meet and marry a wonderful man. In spite of being in a close relationship, Patty reflects upon why she still keeps herself in a place where she can easily pick up and leave. At least this time when she does leave, she is accompanied by a partner who shares her love of nature.
Depression and anxiety also had a huge impact on her life. Spending several years in therapy helped open her eyes to why things were the way they were. Having a great therapist played a big role in her being able to heal, but so did the love of her husband. He even played a huge part in getting her to work through her anxiety of driving. His love has given Patty a fulfilling, meaningful life.
While reading “Even When Trapped Behind Clouds” by Patty Somlo, I found myself reflecting on my own life and my need to keep myself fairly mobile. For example, I have a six-figure income yet I sleep on an air mattress. It is a really good one, but it is still something that is easy to fold up and pack! Patty’s reflection gave me a great deal of insight into my own quirks and I am pleased to have gained some insight on why I might be the way that I am. In my heart, I am still looking for that special place that I can call home.
Patty Somlo was raised by a military officer father who was usually absent, both physically and mentally from her life, and a mother who suffered from depression and alcoholism. Their life in the military involved moving constantly. This made it harder to create and maintain close friendships. As a result, this left her with a lot of time by herself. As Patty writes her memoir, “Even When Trapped Behind Clouds,” she takes us on a journey through different memories. In each poignant moment, she includes a lot of detail about the natural beauty of the places where she had her most memorable experiences whether they be good or bad.
Her best childhood memories involve living in Hawaii. From there, she moved to the east coast and then even over to Europe. As an adult, she ended up spending a lot of time in northern California and further up in the Northwest. Even while living in the city of San Francisco, she often reflects upon the beautiful experiences she had while hiking. As she writes, it is obvious that there was a lot of sadness and pain in her soul because she did not have healthy, whole parents. Even after they divorced, things did not improve. This had an impact on her personal relationships. When Patty went into therapy, her eyes were opened as to why she was attracting the wrong type of man for herself. After healing occurred, she was able to meet and marry a wonderful man. In spite of being in a close relationship, Patty reflects upon why she still keeps herself in a place where she can easily pick up and leave. At least this time when she does leave, she is accompanied by a partner who shares her love of nature.
Depression and anxiety also had a huge impact on her life. Spending several years in therapy helped open her eyes to why things were the way they were. Having a great therapist played a big role in her being able to heal, but so did the love of her husband. He even played a huge part in getting her to work through her anxiety of driving. His love has given Patty a fulfilling, meaningful life.
While reading “Even When Trapped Behind Clouds” by Patty Somlo, I found myself reflecting on my own life and my need to keep myself fairly mobile. For example, I have a six-figure income yet I sleep on an air mattress. It is a really good one, but it is still something that is easy to fold up and pack! Patty’s reflection gave me a great deal of insight into my own quirks and I am pleased to have gained some insight on why I might be the way that I am. In my heart, I am still looking for that special place that I can call home.
March 2, 2017
Even When Trapped Behind Clouds by Patty Somlo is a well-written memoir that opens with the author's childhood memories of dancing the hula, clicking lava stones in her hands, and learning to ice skate, ski, and sled. Next, she takes the reader through her abrupt moves from place to place, as she relocates with her military father and family. Her father divorces her mother, and her mother becomes an alcoholic.
She writes: "On our travels across country, I collected glass horses. I didn't think about it at the time but in hindsight I believe that buying the horses was a way for me to deal with the loss of friends and familiar places left behind . . . . The shattered glass horses were a metaphor for my life. They symbolized my inability to hold onto anything permanent when temporary houses, friends, and schools were all I had known." — Patty Somlo
Even When Trapped Behind Clouds is forward-moving and easy to read (can be read in one setting), yet it is pensive and introspective. I highly recommend everyone to read it for personal enjoyment and enlightenment.
To read more reviews, visit http://www.McNeilsReviews.com
She writes: "On our travels across country, I collected glass horses. I didn't think about it at the time but in hindsight I believe that buying the horses was a way for me to deal with the loss of friends and familiar places left behind . . . . The shattered glass horses were a metaphor for my life. They symbolized my inability to hold onto anything permanent when temporary houses, friends, and schools were all I had known." — Patty Somlo
Even When Trapped Behind Clouds is forward-moving and easy to read (can be read in one setting), yet it is pensive and introspective. I highly recommend everyone to read it for personal enjoyment and enlightenment.
To read more reviews, visit http://www.McNeilsReviews.com
September 28, 2016
Patty Somlo’s memoir is structured around the places she has lived and their importance in her life rather than on the chronology of her life, and her growth as a person is the thread tying them all together. The memoir reads like a short story collection as she moves back and forth through time and relationships and the journey never gets predictable. Somlo writes beautifully, with a clear honesty and an understanding insight. I was already a fan of her short stories (The First To Disappear) and her memoir does not disappoint.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews