Assessment:
Plot/Idea: I'm History...but do I Repeat Myself sees Knapp examine her values and outlook as she explores the moments in life that define and shape our histories. Her love of history seeps through the pages in a text that is constantly engaging if a little meandering at times.
Prose: Knapp's text benefits from an exquisite attention to detail that successfully immerses the reader in the book. Her writing is compelling, witty, and insightful, neatly balancing classroom history lessons with educational episodes from her life.
Originality: Knapp weaves an intricate and illuminating narrative, her classroom experiences often eye-opening and intriguing. She offers an insight into history teaching practices, and her memories and reflections are often touching if sometimes long-winded.
Character/Execution: Knapp is a confident and accomplished writer, brilliantly managing to evoke vivid recollections from her upbringing. The characters are interesting and well developed, and she clearly forms a deep and meaningful connection with many of her students, whom she talks of fondly.
Blurb: A stirring and honest memoir.
Date Submitted: January 30, 2024
Author Lee Knapp has crafted a poignant and enlightening journey through her personal experiences at her alma mater. Her candid reflections on navigating changes while teaching history offer a unique perspective on identity and belonging, and I loved the warmth and honesty of her prose. Knapp's adept storytelling is laced with detail, wit, and style, drawing readers into the complexities of her journey from grappling with her own beliefs to embracing unexpected opportunities for growth and connection. The memoir's exploration of historical parallels to contemporary issues is well-paced and explored naturally in the flow of narration, without ever feeling forced, prompting readers to reflect at their own pace on the cyclical nature of history and its impact on individual lives. Knapp's natural voice is both engaging and thought-provoking, offering valuable insights that sound like they’re coming from a dear old friend. Overall, I'm History...But Do I Repeat Myself? is a compelling read that resonates long after the final page, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to memoir fans everywhere. K.C. Finn, Reader’s Favorite – Five Star Review
MUST READ
“A refreshing look at life in the South from the perspective of someone willing to view all sides with honesty.”
I’m History … but do I repeat myself? by Lee Knapp is a memoir of the author's life, set in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia. It spans a period of sixty years wherein the state of Virginia undergoes drastic changes politically and religiously. In the middle of it all, Knapp builds a life, challenged by influences on all sides until she finds her identity and Richmond finds a balance in an ever-changing world. Her memoir centers around three main themes in her life, her religion, her marriage, and racial tensions in the South. As a history teacher, much of her story includes the history of America and the men and women who helped shape it, but it is the stories of the everyday people in Knapp’s life that set this autobiography apart.
Knapp's first struggle it seems is with her spirituality. Being part of the Evangelical movement in America from an early age until well into adulthood she is well-versed in all things church-related. In her midlife, she decides to leave the church, start her own business, and face a troubled marriage. After encountering financial difficulty, she returns to teaching at her alma mater, Tucker High School, where she comes face to face with a racially diverse community of kids she didn’t even know was living among them. Her narration of the racial tension in her society is skillfully done, interwoven with her own struggles and beliefs and inextricable bound to the past.
Throughout all of this, the author comes full circle in almost all aspects of her life. She takes control of her marriage problems, she comes to grips with the racist past of her people and she finds an equilibrium with her own weaknesses and strengths. Only one thing is an unfinished loop: that of her spirituality. For her it seems Jesus is the church and the church is Jesus. There is never a personal connection between the two of them. In her words her relationship was perhaps: “… just an emotional release to some nice man named Jesus in some kind of admission to this invisible therapist that I was not in control.” Even in this, Knapp's struggle is beautiful and real. When is life ever perfect? When are loops ever closed? I’m History … but do I repeat myself? is what a memoir should be. Raw and honest and unabashedly critical in hindsight.
