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SPLINTERS
by Leslie Jamison (Granta, $39.99)
Historically, memoirs have typically been end-of-life recollections of an individual’s place in the tide of world events. Many contemporary international writers of autobiographical fiction carry on that tradition, braiding the intimate details of their lives with the revolutionary arcs of their times. But there are some memoirists whose gaze faces solipsistically inwards, leading to a naked evisceration of the self. These writers are often quite young and their stories frequently concern recovery from addictions, eating disorders, dysfunctional families, lack of privilege or too much privilege, bigotry, abuse, bouts of severe depression and grappling with incurable illness. Their