THE KING AND THE QUIRKY
Memoir of Love, Marriage, Domesticity, Feminism, and Self
By: Heather Siegel
Published: June 19, 2020
Publisher: Regal House Publishing
Non-Fiction/Memoir
Heather Siegel, at 34, is a successful business owner and really doesn’t believe in love-at-first-sight or the fairy-tale romance. She grew up with a very difficult childhood which you can read about in her first memoir, OUT FROM THE UNDERWORLD. She has proven the world wrong and defied all the odds by holding her own in NYC, not dependent on anyone. But, then she meets Jon and falls head over heels in love, pretty quickly. He was divorced and successful in the NYC financial world. Soon, she is changing her ideals and values and moving into a mansion in a New England suburb.
As Heather manuevers through her new life, she finds that not everything is as it seemed at first. The stock market crashes and their lifestyle is suddenly in jeopardy. She becomes pregnant after some difficulty. Slowly, she is trying to rediscover her old self in a new environment and it doesn’t come back to her as easily as she hoped.
Heather is witty, matter-of-fact, and doesn’t hold back any of her feelings. We watch her grow from a confident single woman, to one who is mostly at her husband’s beck and call to a mother who severely hopes she isn’t anything like her own parents to a new and better Heather by the end of the memoir. I have to admit, I was worried when she moved into the mansion and I could see parts of her previous self fade away, but I had hope that writing this memoir would mean she was able to rise above and she does.
I’m not saying that her marriage was bad. Difficult at times, yes. It would have been easy for Heather and Jon to throw in the towel, but Heather shared some personal parts of their story that may just offer insight and hope for others struggling in their marriage. I respect their journey back to each other and I certainly hope they have continued to grow as a couple and a family.
I found this to be a quick and enjoyable read with numerous funny moments as well as some heartbreaking and joyful moments. Her advice can be applied to many areas of life, but the most important that I took from this novel is to never lose sight of who you are and to love yourself first.
“Maybe we all just needed to give the love instead of trying to get it. Or ask not what your marriage can give to you but what you can give to your marriage.”
Heather Siegel – The King and the Quirky
Heather Siegel is an award-winning author and creative with interests in the arts, food, and animal welfare. In her past life, she founded several independent businesses, including a coffeehouse, a café, an organic juice bar, and a natural beauty bar.
She currently teaches academic and creative writing for local colleges and continuing education programs and runs private workshops, a developmental editing service, and a book incubator at Heather’s Creative Writery. She holds an MFA from The New School University and lives in the woods of Long Island with her family in a farmhouse that always needs something fixed. For more, check out her website, HERE.
To purchase a copy of THE KING AND THE QUIRKY, click the photo below:
Check out my review of Heather’s first book:
Thanks to the author for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, Heather Siegel, marriage, memoir, non-fiction