Title: Zip
Author: Roxsane Tiernan
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
ISBN: 978-1638717461
Pages: 218
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Reviewed by: Tony Espinoza

Read Book Review

One of life’s most precious commodities found within our very being is none other than memory. Our memories can be a tricky thing. They can hold within us some of the most heartfelt and happy events and moments of our lives, while in other moments they can bring back pain as if it had occurred the previous day. While memory can be both a blessing and a curse, the need to hold onto our memories as time goes by becomes one of our most needed objectives. As Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel once said, “Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future.”

In author Roxsane Tiernan’s Zip, the author explores her own memories in an effort to bring her life to the page. Utilizing a near-perfect memory, the author relays the pivotal moments of her life which put her on the path she ended up on, both the good and the bad. From painful memories of her childhood to the love and loss of a loved one, and the career that allowed her to discover who she really is, this book combines memoir style narration with poetry to bring to life the author’s experiences in a very vivid and honest way.

The author really captivated and engaged with me right from the first chapters of this book. One-minute readers will be regaled with seemingly simple or relatable memories of childhood, and the next a crucial revelation will crack the image that readers had begun to develop in their minds of that childhood. The interesting thing the author utilized in telling this memoir was approaching the subject almost as if she were a documentarian, separating herself from the “narrative” by changing herself into a character named Zip. By doing this, the author was able to relay the pivotal moments of life while articulating the memories and emotions that went with her in a way readers could fully understand and visualize while reading.

This is a moving and enlightening read for those who enjoy memoirs, biographies, stories about educators and books about overcoming trauma to live a better and happier life. The author’s words and utilization of both memoir-style storytelling and poetry allows the readers to grasp both the information and the feelings these memories evoked within the author herself.

Honestly, at times haunting, and overall engaging as a narrative, author Roxsane Tiernan’s Zip is a must-read memoir. The imagery not only brought these moments in the author’s life to the surface of the readers’ minds so perfectly, but allowed me to even visualize the settings these events took place in. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your own copy of this book today!