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Body in Script
Body in Script is a novel in stories, documenting nearly two decades of Chava Wiseman’s life as she learns how to survive her nature as a woman whose body, home, marriage, and memories are sources of pain and trauma, but also of love and healing. Every story is inspired by a bodily event, from which the author builds the world of her characters. As Chava uses her many malfunctions and maladies to examine her identity and her purpose for living, she proves herself able to endure and accept the pain of living in a body that doesn’t often recognize what is for her and what is against her. Each chapter begins with an illustration depicting the author’s husband’s view of his wife’s experiences as she has rendered them in this fictional narrative of their shared life.
330 pages, Paperback
Published December 24, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 4, 2024
In this powerful memoir, the author courageously unravels the complexities of eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and the intricate web of relationship struggles that often accompany these raw issues. The book is not just a recounting of experiences; it’s a profound exploration of emotional evolution, inviting readers into a deeply personal journey.
What sets this memoir apart is its unique narrative structure. The author cleverly intertwines the passage of time with their emotional development, creating a tapestry that reflects the chaos and clarity of recovery. Each chapter serves as a poignant snapshot, capturing the highs and lows that mark the struggle for self-acceptance.
The writing is visceral and honest, striking a delicate balance between vulnerability and resilience. the author does not shy away from the darker aspects of their journey, yet there’s an underlying thread of hope that weaves through the pages. It’s a reminder that healing is not linear, and that growth often emerges from the most challenging experiences. It’s a testament to the strength of the human spirit and an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the depths of these struggles and the path to healing.
What sets this memoir apart is its unique narrative structure. The author cleverly intertwines the passage of time with their emotional development, creating a tapestry that reflects the chaos and clarity of recovery. Each chapter serves as a poignant snapshot, capturing the highs and lows that mark the struggle for self-acceptance.
The writing is visceral and honest, striking a delicate balance between vulnerability and resilience. the author does not shy away from the darker aspects of their journey, yet there’s an underlying thread of hope that weaves through the pages. It’s a reminder that healing is not linear, and that growth often emerges from the most challenging experiences. It’s a testament to the strength of the human spirit and an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the depths of these struggles and the path to healing.
February 3, 2025
Body in Script is a semi-autobiographical novel told by way of chapters that are essentially connected short stories. It’s a unique and well-executed format that makes everything more than the sum of its parts, if I may invoke a cliché.
There are three intertwined themes, or storylines woven throughout. One is the author’s alter-ego, Chava and her lifelong struggle against a body that betrays her at every turn. The litany of conditions, injuries and afflictions is rivaled only by those of Job. You know, the Old Testament guy. From acute pneumonia, to eating disorders, to sexual assault-related PTSD, to body dysmorphia, to¬—and I admit I had to Google this one—Raynaud’s Disease.
Second is the evolution of Chava’s relationship with her husband Stephen. From free-spirited, naked-at-the-river attraction at first sight to the reality of building a life between one person, a college professor with responsibilities who craves order and one who is a chaos-embracing free-spirit artist.
Finally, the third element is not so much a narrative thread as it is a literal and metaphorical connective tissue that weaves the first two ideas together and ties them together inexorably, for better or for worse. This is THE house. Early on, Chava and Stephen buy a house in midtown Sacramento. To call it a fixer upper would be an understatement of cyclopean proportions. It is the Titanic, brought back to the surface, at a bargain price, in the belief that it can be made seaworthy once again.
Finally, I must commend the writing itself. The prose is elevated and vividly descriptive. I’ve never had an eating disorder, but while reading Body in Script, I certainly felt like I knew what it was like to experience. In one of the earlier stories, Fixer-Upper, Chava has her fingers trapped under a vengefully malfunctioning guillotine window. For hours. The narrative expertly goes back and forth between the very real pain and inability to extract herself from the predicament, and the other story lines that the house ties together. I swear, when I finished that chapter, I felt like I needed to ice my fingers.
And, lest you think this is an oh-woe-is-me tale, it is not. It is a tale of perseverance and triumph, even if marginal at times, over the forces of life’s arbitrary unfairness. It is ultimately a celebration of hope.
There are three intertwined themes, or storylines woven throughout. One is the author’s alter-ego, Chava and her lifelong struggle against a body that betrays her at every turn. The litany of conditions, injuries and afflictions is rivaled only by those of Job. You know, the Old Testament guy. From acute pneumonia, to eating disorders, to sexual assault-related PTSD, to body dysmorphia, to¬—and I admit I had to Google this one—Raynaud’s Disease.
Second is the evolution of Chava’s relationship with her husband Stephen. From free-spirited, naked-at-the-river attraction at first sight to the reality of building a life between one person, a college professor with responsibilities who craves order and one who is a chaos-embracing free-spirit artist.
Finally, the third element is not so much a narrative thread as it is a literal and metaphorical connective tissue that weaves the first two ideas together and ties them together inexorably, for better or for worse. This is THE house. Early on, Chava and Stephen buy a house in midtown Sacramento. To call it a fixer upper would be an understatement of cyclopean proportions. It is the Titanic, brought back to the surface, at a bargain price, in the belief that it can be made seaworthy once again.
Finally, I must commend the writing itself. The prose is elevated and vividly descriptive. I’ve never had an eating disorder, but while reading Body in Script, I certainly felt like I knew what it was like to experience. In one of the earlier stories, Fixer-Upper, Chava has her fingers trapped under a vengefully malfunctioning guillotine window. For hours. The narrative expertly goes back and forth between the very real pain and inability to extract herself from the predicament, and the other story lines that the house ties together. I swear, when I finished that chapter, I felt like I needed to ice my fingers.
And, lest you think this is an oh-woe-is-me tale, it is not. It is a tale of perseverance and triumph, even if marginal at times, over the forces of life’s arbitrary unfairness. It is ultimately a celebration of hope.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews