4 out of 4 stars
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Naked by Julie Freed is an extremely well-written but also raw and devastating account of the author’s sudden dissolution of marriage, and the simultaneous impact of Hurricane Katrina on her and her baby daughter’s life. When we meet Julie, she is preparing for evacuation while her husband is in another state working as a military doctor. She receives a heartbreaking message from him indicating his desire for a divorce, but due to the impending storm she must focus on her and her daughter’s immediate safety, so she is unable to fully process the situation. Thankfully, she is able to rely on the help of kindly neighbors and find shelter to weather the storm.
The book switches back and forth between two timelines – the author’s present, where she is dealing with the hurricane and her looming divorce, and the past in which she meets and falls in love with her husband Conner. We read of her and her husband’s backgrounds and family situations, and watch as they come to know each other and begin a romance. Sometimes it can be easy, looking retrospectively at a failed relationship, to see huge problems that are obvious culprits in its dissolution. However, through her account of the early days of her relationship, the author shows us that it is not always possible to anticipate or avoid those problems. As she recounts her husband’s actions through the period of their 9 year marriage, we watch his progression from a “sweet, innocent man” to someone who harbors secrets and a dark side, and then finally to someone entrenched in the throes of alcoholism.
There are several rich metaphors within this story. Conner’s sudden transformation into a wretched man ravaged by addiction is mirrored by the sudden transformation of the gulf coast after the devastation of the hurricane. His sudden impulsive and unpredictable behavior is contrasted strongly by the solid and consistent love and support Julie receives from her father. The author also spends some time describing the diamond ring given to her by her husband – a ring with a flaw that one could only see while looking at it from a certain angle. This alludes to her experience with her husband, who appeared to her at first like the ideal partner, and whose flaws it took her a long time to admit.
The title of the book, Naked, is a concept that manifests in several ways within the story. When the hurricane leaves her neighborhood broken and ravaged, the author describes the torn open houses and lives as “naked” and exposed – a feeling similar to one she experiences through her divorce. After enduring the physical and emotional losses of the time, she again describes herself as feeling “naked,” though in this context the connotation is less negative, instead describing her openness to rebuilding a life on her own terms. Nakedness as a concept is also used several times to describe honesty and simplicity, and in these contexts is described as a positive quality.
This story is paced well, and the switching timelines keep it moving in a way that made it hard for me to put down. It is the story of a woman who finds strength during the deepest despair, and who finds and builds a community among her family, friends, and other survivors. One of the most powerful themes in this work is the equalizing power of loss and grief, and the meaninglessness of wealth and material possessions as compared to real treasure like love and family. This is a book that almost any reader can enjoy; it is the story of hope amidst suffering, as well as a real-life account of one community’s experiences during and after Hurricane Katrina. I rate this book a strong 4 out of 4 stars as I cannot think of any negatives to report. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy memoirs, as well as books with a strong inspirational message of perseverance and survival.
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Naked
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