Review of Mimsy
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Vina Tadanki
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Review of Mimsy
[Following is a volunteer review of "Mimsy" by Don Blossom.]
Mimsy Cum Laude is a memoir written by Don Blossom about his eponymous true love and the earnest quest to find her. Grove City College, a private Christian liberal arts college in the quiet, conservative college town of west Pennsylvania, may not precisely be the glamorous, progressive place where one would expect to find the flame of their heart, their one true love, especially in the 60s. But it turns out exactly that for Don and his beloved Mimsy, who find each other in the unlikeliest of places, fall in love, and end up dreaming of a lovely future together.
The author, then 17-year-old Don, enrolls in Grove City College, a school with excellent ratings, after being rejected by Harvard, hoping to make it into their basketball team and earn a deferment from the Selective Service draft in the ongoing Southeast Asian war. Being an enthusiastic, optimistic young man, Don tries and fails to find the college experience to match his expectations. Just as he starts planning to transfer schools, who should he meet but the girl he is instantly attracted to and thoroughly his type? Marilyn Cosic, aka Mimsy, two years his senior, is a gorgeous, sophisticated young woman with deep dark brown eyes, dimpled cheeks, and an education major who fascinates and intrigues Don like no girl ever did. Although their courtship begins with innocent, witty banter and engaging discussions of war, religion, ambitions, and plans for a beautiful future, fate has different plans. Mimsy leaves, and Don is devastated. What happened to Mimsy, and why did she disappear? What ensues is a long journey of seeking and encountering more questions than answers about Mimsy's unfortunate and sinister life. This is a tragic tale of love, loss, faith, and redemption, sure to perplex and provoke one's thoughts.
The author's description of the small town and its college, in itself, causes one to fall in love with the charming town and portrays the perfect backdrop for the sweet beginning of their love story. While the narration starts with an endearing boy-meets-girl trope, it quickly levels out to a lot of research and hypothesis. The author's persistent endeavor to find answers and the amount of research is heart-rending to read but gets tedious afterward. Nonetheless, it is understandable as it represents his paramount love for Mimsy and an attempt to find redemption in these pages. This memoir reminds me of the famous old song by Doris Day, "Que sera, sera, Whatever will be, will be" as to how futile it is to question the future and reflect on the ifs and buts. "The future is not ours to see; whatever will be, will be," as the song goes, encourages us to accept and move on with perseverance, whatever life throws at us. I hope the author, too, finds his peace with the writing of this memoir and moves on, knowing he is blameless.
It is a 4 out of 5 for this thought-provoking tale that displays hope, faith, and, essentially, his pure, lasting love, and also for good editing of the book. I deducted 1 point as the extensive research part gets a bit monotonous and repetitive to read, without which the story could have held its own with brevity. I recommend this book to lovers of fiction and non-fiction alike as it is one of a kind.
******
Mimsy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Mimsy Cum Laude is a memoir written by Don Blossom about his eponymous true love and the earnest quest to find her. Grove City College, a private Christian liberal arts college in the quiet, conservative college town of west Pennsylvania, may not precisely be the glamorous, progressive place where one would expect to find the flame of their heart, their one true love, especially in the 60s. But it turns out exactly that for Don and his beloved Mimsy, who find each other in the unlikeliest of places, fall in love, and end up dreaming of a lovely future together.
The author, then 17-year-old Don, enrolls in Grove City College, a school with excellent ratings, after being rejected by Harvard, hoping to make it into their basketball team and earn a deferment from the Selective Service draft in the ongoing Southeast Asian war. Being an enthusiastic, optimistic young man, Don tries and fails to find the college experience to match his expectations. Just as he starts planning to transfer schools, who should he meet but the girl he is instantly attracted to and thoroughly his type? Marilyn Cosic, aka Mimsy, two years his senior, is a gorgeous, sophisticated young woman with deep dark brown eyes, dimpled cheeks, and an education major who fascinates and intrigues Don like no girl ever did. Although their courtship begins with innocent, witty banter and engaging discussions of war, religion, ambitions, and plans for a beautiful future, fate has different plans. Mimsy leaves, and Don is devastated. What happened to Mimsy, and why did she disappear? What ensues is a long journey of seeking and encountering more questions than answers about Mimsy's unfortunate and sinister life. This is a tragic tale of love, loss, faith, and redemption, sure to perplex and provoke one's thoughts.
The author's description of the small town and its college, in itself, causes one to fall in love with the charming town and portrays the perfect backdrop for the sweet beginning of their love story. While the narration starts with an endearing boy-meets-girl trope, it quickly levels out to a lot of research and hypothesis. The author's persistent endeavor to find answers and the amount of research is heart-rending to read but gets tedious afterward. Nonetheless, it is understandable as it represents his paramount love for Mimsy and an attempt to find redemption in these pages. This memoir reminds me of the famous old song by Doris Day, "Que sera, sera, Whatever will be, will be" as to how futile it is to question the future and reflect on the ifs and buts. "The future is not ours to see; whatever will be, will be," as the song goes, encourages us to accept and move on with perseverance, whatever life throws at us. I hope the author, too, finds his peace with the writing of this memoir and moves on, knowing he is blameless.
It is a 4 out of 5 for this thought-provoking tale that displays hope, faith, and, essentially, his pure, lasting love, and also for good editing of the book. I deducted 1 point as the extensive research part gets a bit monotonous and repetitive to read, without which the story could have held its own with brevity. I recommend this book to lovers of fiction and non-fiction alike as it is one of a kind.
******
Mimsy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Waterworks by Jack Winnick
