I Live a Life Like Yours

This artful, poetic memoir thoughtfully explores life with disability. Norwegian novelist and sociolinguist Grue (Univ. of Oslo) considers his childhood through the lens of who he is as an adult: a successful educator, husband, and father. Grue has lived his entire life with congenital muscular dystrophy. He writes here about learning to accept the physical limitations he encounters in day-to-day life; only when faced with other people’s perceptions of him does he see himself through a clinical lens. In this lyrical account, Grue reflects on his diagnosis, but more so on how a diagnosis is only one part of his identity. He thoughtfully muses on the nature of time and describes his life with chronological fluidity, mixing in elements of the past that evolve and acquire new meaning in the present. Grue occasionally digresses from the narrative with relevant quotations and musings, which flow together in a cohesive whole. Crook’s translation of Grue’s book (first published in 2018 in Norway) upholds the literary quality that won the memoir a Norwegian award for literature.