Her love for writing enables her to define her identity. She rebuilds her life with a remarkable combination of stoicism, wit, and dignity. Unfortunately, the skin grafts fail and leave her face permanently disfigured.įinally, Lucy resolves to stop looking at the mirror. She undergoes another series of reconstructive surgeries. She decides to 'fix her face' to make her life bearable. When Lucy grows up, she starts getting self-conscious about her appearance. She prefers the hospital to home because the hospital staff and patients expect nothing from her. She blames herself for her mother's depression, the family arguments, and the financial woes. She teaches Lucy to 'be brave' and 'not to cry.' Lucy soon realizes the need to suppress her grief for the sake of her mother's wellbeing. Lucy's mother raises five children, battles depression, and endures the agony of Lucy's illness. Lucy belongs to an Irish immigrant family that copes with displacement.

The book describes the impact of Lucy's disease on her family relationships. Her awareness of people staring at her face, her attempts to hide her face with her hair, and a feeling of joy on Halloween, when she could mask her face are heart-wrenching. The narrative incorporates several childhood events. After more than two years of surgeries, radiation treatment, and intensive chemotherapy, she realizes the impact of the illness and disfigurement. In the early stages of the disease and treatment, she does not comprehend the significance or the implications of her condition. It describes the psychological, social, and cultural implications of an ailment.Īt nine years of age, Lucy loses half her jaw to Ewing's sarcoma. It is a story of courage and resilience in the face of adversity. Grealy's memoir is a sensitive account of the relationship between physical appearance and self-esteem. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.

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Autobiography of a face