Carnal Acts

Acclaimed personal writing from one of our most out-spoken essayists, on disability, on family, on being an impolite woman, and on the opporunities and "gifts" of a difficult life.Eloquent and remarkable. . . .I closed Carnal Acts feeling a hundred times more prepared for whatever perils and joys lie ahead of me. —Barbara Kingsolver

"The heart of the book is the story of a highly intelligent and witty woman dealing with multiple sclerosis, a woman living in the grip of fear, confronting that fear and pushing through the terror to find joy. It is above all for this story—for the author's ability to see life whole—that the book should be read."—Laurie Graham, New York Times Book Review

"A seamlessly constructed mix of autobiographical data, keyhole peeking, anger, affection and sheer grit."—Carol Freundlich, Bloomsbury Review

"Mairs writes . . . with scrupulous, sometimes discomforting honesty—and often with an unruly wit. . . . Let us hope she will do so again." —Janet Kaye, Los Angeles Times Book ReviewNancy Mairs (1943–2016) is author of several acclaimed books, including Ordinary Time, Carnal Acts, Remembering the Bone House, and Plaintext.