Reviewed by Bev Scott
A Crooked Smile (Terri Tate memoir) is powerful, touching and intimate. She takes the reader through the excruciatingly painful journey of cancer discovered under her tongue. She shares her fears, her longing, her love and her gradual acceptance of who she has become. Anne Lamont says in the foreword that she “has paid through the nose to stay alive.” She also paid with losing part of her jaw, her tongue and re-arranging her face. She takes us into the depths of her despair, her childish dependence on her husband and her search for faith and belief in a Greater Power as well as in herself.
Terri is an excellent writer. I felt as if I was right next to her as she struggled for her survival. She tells a story that is honest and revealing. Terri shows up as a whole, loving, spiritual human being by the end of her story. And, speaking of the end, I thought it ended a little too quickly. Suddenly she was healthy, single and a successful. Despite that minor issue, “A Crooked Smile” is a beautiful, intimate story of survival and triumph. Terri Tate provides an inspiring memoir.
About the author
Terri Tate is a clinical nurse specialist, teacher, and humorist. Terri was first diagnosed with oral cancer in 1991, and is now a nationally recognized speaker; a consultant and therapist who uses lessons from her own struggle to help support anyone facing life challenges; and a stand-up comedienne with a popular one-woman show, Shopping As a Spiritual Path. For more, visit territate.com.
