Moonface: A True Romance – A Cathartic and Uproarious Memoir of Kidney Failure and the Power of Love

by Angela Balcita

“Angela Balcita's love story takes a couple of artsy wanderers off the road and into the bright, scary world of transplants, dialysis, and neonatal intensive care.” —Marion Winik, author of The Glen Rock Book of the Dead

From the pages of the New York Times ’ Modern Love column comes one woman’s moving and uproarious story of how love and laughter rescued her from life-threatening illness. Angela Balcita’s cathartic memoir of finding love while wrestling with kidney failure will strike a chord with anyone yearning for a poignant, true-to-life romance…with a real fairy tale ending.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Romance

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 14, 2011

About the author

Angela Balcita received her MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Iowa Review, and Utne Reader, among other publications. She lives in Baltimore with her husband and daughter."

Reviews

[Marlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked out this book at the library because the book was expanded from a Modern Love column. I really enjoyed it!!! Highly recommend

[Gmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angela is a girl who knows what she wants in life; her dreams and aspirations echoing so many others round the world. Gain an education, find love, and make lasting friendships. There is one however that sets her a bit apart from the crowd. One wish that she would rather not have on her list of wants and desires; one hope that if given the chance, she’d gladly erase from her "things I want in life" tally with a smile upon her face. That deep seeded wish…for her recently transplanted kidney to remain healthy and strong. Unfortunately, the things we want most don’t always come true…and yet even in those darker times all hope is not lost. In fact, sometimes the best things in life are discovered at the most inopportune moments and in the discoverer’s eyes their value increases ten fold for it.

The touching story of one woman’s life, love, and search to find herself….with a transplant or two along the way. The unique part about this particular memoir is that while the topical issue being dealt with is kidney failure, in all its not-so-glorious and heart-wrenching moments, the heart of the book lies in the sharing of how life came to be where it is now and where it seems to be headed. It’s about more than a disease; it’s about a life lived to its fullest with a disease tagging along.

Ms. Balcita had a hard journey with multiple medical interventions along the way to stave off the end her health was bringing her to. At times crushing in its intensity, her delivery still remains light with a comedic touch much like the “routines” her and her husband put on from time to time when delivering their story to a crowd. Why the theatrics? Well, laughter IS the best medicine after all. Why not leave people with a smile? You would think that would be hard to do with all she endures, but it’s pulled off with great success making this a story to remember.

Recommended read for older teens through adult readers. This story, while not a fairytale come true, is in fact about seeing the wonder of life unfold despite the circumstances thrown your way. Happy reading...

[Laura de Leon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably 4.5 stars, but I'm willing to round up.

By far, the thing that sticks with me from Moonface is the author's voice. She has a way of writing that is funny without being comic, that makes her feel like someone that would be really interesting to know, and that I was getting to know her through her book. She was funny and very human.

And yes, she was an interesting character, beyond being an interesting person. She faced real challenges (She had kidney disease that caused her kidneys to fail, and she received a transplant from her brother, and when that failed, another transplant from her then boyfriend). She also faced the normal challenges of deciding what to do with her life-- college, working, relationships, whether to become a mother. Her illness runs through these decisions, complicating them but not defining them.

The other characters provided spots of color and interest in a story that was clearly about the author herself. Arguably, I should have gotten to know Charlie more deeply than I did, but on the other hand, that might have distracted from the focus, which led to a very coherent narrative. I liked the glimpse into the life of her Filipino family, Charlie's Irish/German one, and the friends they made along the way.

While Charlie's character may not have fully come through, their romance does. Their love comes through in small ways and in big ones, through fun and carefree times, through misunderstandings and through large challenges.

I'm looking forward to Angela Balcita's next book, although I hope her life is not eventfully enough to lead to another memoir!

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a memoir written by a woman who has a kidney disease. I won't get into all the medical jargon that none of us can spell or pronounce, but just try to sum it up real quick.

Angela's kidney began failing her when she was in College. It would no longer clean her blood. Her brother stepped in and gave her his kidney. Ten years later, she rejects the kidney and has to go on dialysis. By this point, she is with Charlie.

Charlie is a really likable guy. He remains positive when Angela gets down. "This is a new moment for you. This is the new you. Pretend for a second that everything you're scared of is getting washed out by this machine. That somehow, you'll come out of this whole thing feeling refreshed and brand new. Healthy. Maybe even better than before."

To read full review, please click on the link: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2011/...

[Jim Gleason · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title suggests, Angela’s book is truly a young couple’s modern day love story with her three times failing kidney health challenges, a knight in shining armor who supports his love for her in both words and action. In the final chapters, there is a beautiful happy ending as they (now a family of three) ride off to face the future.
An easy engaging read, this is a living kidney donation first hand account of how it is supposed to work and how it sometimes turns out to be more complex than anticipated. The recipient’s insightful and very open heartfelt sharing of her many ups and downs, has both humor and pain throughout. Through gifted writing, the reader can “feel” Angela’s emotions in facing fears of losing first, her brother’s donated kidney, and then her loving partner’s donated kidney. Charlie takes it all in loving stride, supporting her in so many ways throughout. But above all this, the really special and deepest part of the love story is their desire to have a baby after the second transplant, a high risk decision but definitely an ever more frequent occurrence these days. In their case the doctor’s warnings play out, leading to yet another kidney adventure with many dimensions to it, making this book unique among the many others I have read. Family support sustains through it all, winning out in the life that continues to play out even after the book’s story closes.
Moonface is a beautiful and moving love story for all, but will be especially valuable reading for anyone considering living donation, either as the donor or the recipient. When it comes to making a decision about giving birth after a transplant, this is a must read, but don’t expect a simple lesson that will provide your own answer. Each and every life is unique, so this story is just one of many possible outcomes. Theirs is a win/lose example of what can happen, both good and risky with outcomes that will both touch the heart and leave you with serious concern, as it should.

see this and more than a hundred other organ donation/transplant related books - many with my personal reviews - at http://www.trioweb.org/resources/book...

[Jessika Hoover · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost thanks to Erica at Harper Perennial for sending me a copy of this for review!

I'm not a big fan of memoirs or non-fiction, for that matter, but I flew through the pages of this little book. I couldn't put it down! When I first read the synopsis of this one, I was rather intrigued mostly due to the fact that my own mother has had a pancreas transplant that failed, so I was curious to read about Angela Balcita's own experience. Not only that, but it seemed like the makings of a sweet love story. And it was!

I really enjoyed Balcita's wit and humor, and I fell in love with her and Charlie as a couple. I want my own Charlie, that's for sure! They are one of those couples that are so cute that they make you believe in true love and that everyone has their match somewhere out there in this crazy world. I loved watching their tale unfold from meeting at a party where Charlie was doing drunken Elvis impressions to seeing where they are today. As I said, Balcita is really witty and I laughed many times while reading, but there were definitely moments throughout the story where my heart ached for her and I even found myself with my fingers crossed, hoping that the new kidney would hold.

The only reason why I found myself giving this a 3-star rating was that even though I flew through the pages to find out what would happen, this book just didn't have that extra oomph that would rank it among my favorites. It is a good story, and one that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside (despite the rough patches in the middle), but I can't really see myself ever really wanting to read it again. All the same, I definitely recommend this to those interested in the storyline! It's a good afternoon read!

[Shwe Phue · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an amazing adventure, it allowed the readers to experience all the tragedies of having a disease without having to go through all the burdens. I randomly chose it for my English class and I did not regret it at all. A story that had me in tears continuously is not rare but this was special to me, a really stupid reason, because it is one of the only non-fiction books I've ever read. I highly recommend it if you have a sensitive heart.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it’s been said again and again, but reviewing memoirs is such a difficult thing to do; the contents of these books are the authors’ actual lives, so to critique them in any way just seems wrong. Anyway, it’s been a few days since I finished this one and I’ve had time to let it simmer in my mind. While I didn’t at all dislike the book while I was reading it, I do feel that it took time to mull it over for a while to really appreciate it. This is probably because I had all these outrageous expectations for it that it fell short of, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that it is definitely well written and is a great story to tell.

Moonface is the author, Angela Balcita’s, story about parts of her life during which she struggled with kidney failure. The subtitle of the book is, A True Romance, because it tells the story of her boyfriend, Charlie, donating her one of his kidneys to her, rescuing her from her illness and being on dialysis.

This really was an enjoyable memoir, but, unfortunately for me, it was tempered by not being quite what I thought it would. I went into this memoir with certain expectations: of it being hilarious; of it being wholly a story about a new boyfriend donating his kidney, of the preparations, and all the love that must have emanated from a coupledom so fierce that even without making traditional commitments (such as marriage) her boyfriend committed to undergoing surgery and giving away a kidney. While Moonface (named after Charlie’s nickname for Angela) does touch on these elements, the delivery of it was more lukewarm than I expected. It didn’t come off as a story about him giving her a kidney but, rather, had that as one element of the story of her illness and of their lifeline as a couple. The different glimpses into their story weren’t always in chronological order -- overall the story did move chronologically, but in each time frame the stories seemed a little scattered. The eccentrically titled chapters were funny but also a little distracting for me; I found I had to return to the chapter title at the end of each chapter to figure out how it fit or what it meant. And this book wasn’t quite as hilarious as I expected either. There were definitely parts that made me smile and parts that made me tear up, but I wouldn't necessarily consider this a comedic memoir (other readers disagree with this though). Moonface also wasn’t a mushy-gushy love story, but this actually made it more authentic. Angela and Charlie are a cute and great couple, but they're also real people dealing with real life. There were times when I could feel the insecurities Angela felt when questioning if her boyfriend regretted his decision and her so badly wanting her body to not reject Charlie’s kidney, because if it did, would that be a sign?

Overall, this was a short, tepid, yet enjoyable, memoir about a young woman diagnosed with kidney disease and how her life works around this. Despite the critiques in the preceding paragraph, I did enjoy this read. Whether Angela's dealing with another transplant, trying to maintain a good relationship with her boyfriend, or excelling in school/work, she continues to live her life with this disease, and that was, for me, the interesting part of this memoir, with the “love story” being just one of the many elements contained within.

Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading the "Modern Love" column that inspired this terrific book and thinking, "Wow- that is true love!" When I heard that the column was expanded into a book, I had to read it.

I have a very good friend who has also undergone the same transplant. She has had kidney problems for over 20 years, and I didn't truly understand everything that she had gone through until I read Angela's book.

It's hard to believe that people like Charlie exist: a boyfriend who is willing to give up a kidney for his girlfriend. But what is more surprising is the number of other people that Angela knew who were also willing to donate a kidney.

Donating a kidney is not like giving your friend your car; it's a major surgical procedure and there can be serious complications. It renews your faith in humanity, and certainly says something about what a good person Angela is to have so many people willing to sacrifice for her.

At the heart of the book is Charlie and Angela's love story. Charlie's family was understandably wary of this because Charlie was willing to give Angela a kidney, but they did not want to get married. I loved the scene where Charlie tells his family that he is giving Angela a kidney, they reacted like any family would.

Charlie's recovery from the surgery is difficult, and at a followup doctor visit, the doctor asks him if he would do it again. Charlie says no, he wouldn't, and this devastates Angela.

Angela decides that she would like to have a baby, and although many doctors tried to discourage her, she finally found one who believed she could do it. Again, Charlie supports her, although he worries about her.

Moonface is such an honest book, filled with love and joy, humor and pain. Charlie is almost too good to be true, but he is also human. Angela perseveres, not letting her lifelong illness stop her from going after things she wants. They are kooky, sharing a similar goofy sense of humor that gets them through difficult times.

I also loved her parents, and can't imagine how hard it was for them to live through this, especially her dad, a doctor who couldn't fix his baby girl.

Balcita writes a crisp book, filled with emotion and I found her quirky chapter titles like "The Celebrated and Adored Royal Filipino Mind Reader" and
"The Woman Who Swallows Fire and Exhales Angels" amusing.

It's a beautifully moving true love story that will touch your heart and make you laugh. It would make a wonderful anniversary gift for a young couple.

[June Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moonface is the very touching autobiographical account of Angela Balcita's determination to live life to the fullest despite the difficulties she encountered with the failure of her kidneys. In her freshman year in college, she has to return home because of the failure of her kidneys to function. You live with her turmoil of the disruption kidney disease causes her loving family. She receives her first donor kidney from her brother. It is a successful surgery enabling her to return to school where she meets the love of her life, Charlie.
After college, she moves to San Francisco where she encounters Charlie again. Moonface, as he calls her, is the light of his life. They commit to each other and move to Hawaii. It seems that Charlie has his own problems in "coming of age."
Angela's joy in life is her love for Charlie and his love for her. That love enables them to deal with the many difficulties that the couple encounters because of her kidney disease. Angela does an excellent job in defining the problems of a person who must endure dialysis, kidney transplant, and rejection.
This book especially appealed to me because I taught a child who suffered an infection that led to major kidney problems. I was his teacher through his difficulties in the diagnosis of kidney disease, the swollen body from the lack of kidney function, enduring dialysis while waiting on the kidney transplant list.

[Chocolate & Croissants · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moonface is a memoir and romance rolled into one. It is about the most selfless gift a person could give another, their kidney.

During her first year in college, Author Balcita becomes ill. As the child of a physician her parents summon her home where she enters the world of medical tests and kidney transplant and dialyses. This book is not for the faint of heart. This poor women has had more than one kidney tranplant. Her first kidney was donated by her brother. She then received a second kidney from her boyfriend who went on to become her husband.

This book grabbed me from the beginning. Balcita makes no secrets about her fears and anguish about her body rejecting her kidney and the stamina required for dialysis. But through it all it seems that she has truly found her life partner, Charlie who not only gives her his kidney but is there for her in a loving and supporting way through all their ordeals. Asked if he would ever donate a kidney again-he delivers an emphatic no. The pain was too much for him to bear.

Of course it did not help that the surgeon asked him this in front of the Balcita. Balcita delivers a great story about her life, life with Charlie, and life about being a young women with a failing kidney.

For anyone who ever wondered what unconditional love is, Balcita captures it for us.

[Kelsey Whing · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You know, Charlie, I don’t know why the heart is classically defined as the symbol of love. No way! I say the kidneys! You’re born with two: one to keep and one to share. You can’t literally give someone your heart.”


This is just one interesting point in Angela Balcita’s Moonface that made me think a little after reading it. This book was a rather interesting read. It deals with the serious issue of kidney failure and the difficulties surrounding kidney transplants. Balcita writes this as a memoir of her relationship with her now husband, who donated one of his kidneys to her. The story chronicles their relationship as well as Balcita’s journey through her multiple kidney failures and transplants and the birth of her daughter.

For the most part I enjoyed this book, but there are a flaws that I find with it. I know Balcita tried to make light of the situation and while she did use humor to do this throughout the book, I think the titles of her chapters could have been less obnoxious and showy. That is probably what bothered me most while reading. I found the chapter titles to be distracting.

I would recommend this book. It’s a good summer read and a perfect refresher from everyday fiction and romance tales.

[Natalie Shawver · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to hope, Angela Balcita has more than most. First needing a kidney transplant as a teenager, and then again ten years after that, she was nothing less than brave. Receiving her first transplant from her brother and her second from her boyfriend (later turned husband), this story made me realize how there truly are good people out there in this big bad world, even today; willing to give of an organ so someone near and dear to them can have life extended says so much about their character. Through it all, Angela held fast to her own goals and dreams (graduating from college and having a baby). Her story reminded me that even in the midst of adversity, you can still overcome and find the blessing. Years later she needed one last transplant--this one from a friend. Regardless of who lent a kidney to her, Angela was the epitome of thankful and humble, always reiterating her fascination with her fragility and how she didn't deserve most of the love that was sent her way. It served as a poignant reminder to me that even in the littlest of gestures, someone can be affected. Little to her brother/boyfriend/friend offer a kidney; ever-so-huge to her.

[JudithAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moonface is the autobiographical story of a young woman who suffers from kidney disease. Amazingly, her boyfriend offers up one of his kidneys
so that she doesn’t have to suffer dialysis three times a week and so she has the chance to live a reasonably normal life.

The book describes the onset of the disease, how Angela meets Charlie, her boyfriend, and how he stays with her through all her
difficult moments and supports her in every way he can.


I loved reading this bitter sweet story about two young lovers that struggle against Angela’s kidney disease together.
In a way, the book is a celebration of Charlie’s love for her.

The book is not so much about the technicalities of kidney disease, but rather a personal account of Angela’s life with Charlie.

[Rachel Jessen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this today during spring break while the kids had friends to play with -- it felt like vacation, alrighty!
The thing I kept thinking about as I read this medical story was HOW did they pay for all her medical bills? Were the parents/inlaws wealthy? Did they go on Medicaid? They seemed to have very good health insurance, or at least the author really didn't describe worrying about how her treatments were covered. In America, financing a major chronic illness has got to be expensive. I know that wasn't the story she wanted to tell, but it one I would have wanted to know at least a little more about.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently expanded from Angela's Balcita's "Modern Love" column in the NY Times, this memoir is a bit scattered and suffers from not being in chronological order. But Balcita -- who has a MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa -- is a good writer and shares the story about her kidney disease and transplant (from her boyfriend) with unflinching honesty, with the love between the duo clearly evident on each page.

[Janice Crespo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put this book on preorder - goes to sale in February and is very enjoyable to read. True Romance takes you thru health and comedy and shows you that yes, good people still do exist in this world. When things get unbearable, comedy takes over and shows you a way thru the toughest times! Definitely put this one on your reading list!

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd account of Angela's life. I thought that it would be a great romance novel to read, but the romance isn't fairy tale like, it is very real and down to earth. The story of Angela's journey is quite intriguing. You feel for her, but yet you see her inner strength and how Charlie brings out the best in her.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, even though it didn't go into too much detail, the story on her issues with her health and eventual kidney transplant(s) gave me more appreciation for what people who suffer from kidney issues deal with. Also amazed me that another human being would sacrifice part of his body all for love.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually 4.5/5

From my book review blog Rundpinne..."Moonface is a beautiful story of love, illness, and family."....My full review may be read here.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was just a fresh read! Its super cute and kept me stuck in it til i finished a few short hours later! I did not want put it down. Shes a brave person with so many loving people surrounding her! THIS IS TRULY A ROMANCE!!!

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sophomoric. It's ironic that a good writer can take a simple story and make it great, and this woman has an advanced degree in nonfiction writing and took her own intriguing story and made it so boring.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read. It's a story of the author's struggle with kidney disease and her boyfriend's decision to donate a kidney to her. The book follows their relationship from beginning to present. Very well written, charming and funny.

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get through this medical memoir, because it gave the impression of consisting in large part of visits to doctors and hospitals and hard-to-read descriptions of being in pain from kidney disease. But the true story behind it is interesting: receiving a donated kidney from your husband.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

She is a great writer, but this interesting story didn't have enough of the passionate detail that I like. I love that it is non-fiction. I just prefer more intimacies about human emotion and drive. I love her quirky writing style, just wish she'd offered more of the why's to what she did/felt.

[Jenn Rosay Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads very easily, but it's very hard to critique a memoir. I honestly feel like this story would be most interesting to those that personally know Angela and her husband. That being said, it really is a beautiful love story.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another true story - very interesting subject matter (girl gets kidney transplant from her boyfriend) but I'm not really getting to know or understand the characters. I'll stick with it - because I'm curious and stubborn.

[Tobe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad read, but I didn't find it hilarious. Not even mildly amusing, although I was told over and over again how funny the people in the story really are. Apparently that didn't translate in the written form.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon!!

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

There wasn't anyhing special about how this story was written. Easy to get through but not worth the time.