Book Description

Melissa's marriage to Thomas brought her into his family - a group of people unlike any she'd ever known. At the center was her new mother-in-law Shirley, who was apt to choose a first-aid manual as bedtime reading for the kids, or teach them how to open childproof caps. At first, Melissa thought Shirley might be crazy - then she realized that Shirley just had a unique way of doing everything. Over the course of twenty-five years, Melissa learned about Shirley's upbringing in a Depression- era orphanage, and became as fascinated by Shirley's history as she was her unvarnished and original take on the world. Crazy is Relative is a rich memoir that explores how we're shaped by our histories, and how a mother and wife devoted to the same man became family to one another.From Parker J. Palmer (author of Let Your Life Speak, A Hidden Wholeness, and Healing the Heart of Democracy): "What do you get when you cross Oliver Twist with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with The Odd Couple with The Book of Ruth? You get this amazing memoir by Melissa Keller-who knows what it means to love even when it's not easy to love, and knows how to write about it surpassingly well. Within a few pages, I wanted more. When I came to a section titled "Thy Crazy-ass People Shall Be My Crazy-ass People," I was hooked. Here's a bone-deep exploration of love, not the Valentine's version, but gritty, grounded love. It's set in the context of a surreal family story, but so much is surreal these days. At a time when many of us feel surrounded by "crazy" 24/7, it's hard to remember that love can see us through. Melissa Keller is one of those rare guides who can help us get to the other side with our hearts intact."