Naomi Weisman is the writer of Nomi's Pics and the editor of the Rambler Cafe Blog. She is a Canadian-Australian and mother of three who loves to Ramble with her dog, cook for family and friends, and laugh whenever possible.
What happens when one of our most imaginative storytellers turns her attention inward?
For many of us who grew up in Canada, Margaret Atwood was not just an author we discovered later in life—she was part of our early reading landscape. Her work often found its way into high school classrooms, quietly shaping how we began to think about voice, power, and perspective. For some of us, she may even have been our first introduction to feminist thought beyond the influence of our mothers—opening a door to questions we hadn’t yet learned how to ask.
And while Atwood is undeniably a Canadian icon, her reach extends far beyond our borders. Her creative mind—curious, incisive, and often playfully subversive—has resonated with readers around the world, making her work both deeply rooted and universally appreciated.
In Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, she does not offer us a traditional, neatly ordered memoir. Instead, she opens a door into memory as she experiences it—layered, shifting, and at times delightfully uncertain. This is not a straight path through a life, but a series of reflections, fragments, and moments that invite us to wander alongside her.
As you begin, it may help to release any expectation of chronology or completion. This book is less about arriving somewhere and more about noticing what unfolds along the way.
About the Author
Margaret Atwood is one of Canada’s most celebrated literary voices, known for her novels, poetry, and essays that explore themes of power, identity, and the human condition. Works such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Alias Grace have earned her international recognition and a lasting place in contemporary literature.
In this memoir, she turns her attention from imagined worlds to her own lived experience, while still maintaining the same curiosity and sharp insight that define her work.
Reading This Memoir
This is a book that rewards a slower, more intuitive kind of reading. You may find yourself pausing, rereading, or simply sitting with a passage longer than expected. That is part of its rhythm.
Atwood does not guide us step by step through her life. Instead, she circles it, revisits it, and occasionally questions it. Some sections may resonate immediately, while others may feel more distant or abstract. Both experiences are valid. There is no single way to move through this memoir, and no need to keep pace with anyone else.
As is often said, reading is a journey, not a race—and this book embodies that idea beautifully.
Moments That May Linger
As you move through these pages, you may notice certain moments or reflections that stay with you longer than others. There may be glimpses of childhood shaped by the Canadian wilderness, or observations about writing and storytelling that feel both personal and universal.
You might find yourself drawn to her quiet reflections on time passing, on aging, and on what it means to look back at a life while still living it. At times, it may be a single sentence—a passing thought, almost casually expressed—that carries unexpected weight.
Rather than looking for overarching themes, allow yourself to notice what lingers. Those are often the moments that matter most.
Threads You Might Follow
If you feel inclined, you might gently follow certain threads as they appear. You may find yourself considering how memory works in your own life, especially as Atwood reflects on the slipperiness of what we recall and how we recall it.
You might notice when humour surfaces, often subtly, and how it softens or deepens the reflections being shared. You may also begin to see echoes between her lived experiences and the imaginative worlds she has created in her fiction.
At times, the memoir may turn your attention inward, prompting you to consider how you would tell your own story, and what you might choose to include, reshape, or leave unsaid.
A Place for Your Own Reflections
This memoir naturally invites a more personal kind of reading. You may find it helpful to pause and take note of passages that resonate, surprise, or even unsettle you.
There is no need to arrive at conclusions or answers. Simply noticing your responses—what draws you in, what feels familiar, what feels distant—can be a meaningful part of the experience.
In many ways, this book becomes a quiet conversation between Atwood’s memories and your own.
Closing Thought
As you move toward the end of Book of Lives, you may find yourself reflecting not only on Atwood’s story, but on the nature of storytelling itself.
What does it mean to tell the story of a life? What is remembered, what is reshaped, and what is quietly left out?
And perhaps most interestingly, who gets to decide?
This memoir does not offer definitive answers, but it leaves us with something just as valuable—a space to consider our own.
Learn More > Virtual Fitness and Lifestyle Challenges
Leave a comment