"Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal"

"Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal" (Hyperion, 2009), by Julie Metz, tells the story of a 40ish woman whose husband suddenly dies, and of what she finds out after his death about his complicated secret life and his many affairs. Metz is shocked and devastated by her husband's early and sudden death, and shocked and devastated again when his many betrayals come to light. Only her young daughter, her friends and family, and time can help her rebuild her life and her faith in other people, and help her let go of at least some of her bitterness. I don't think I am giving too much away by revealing that the story has a happy ending. I realize as I type this summary that it sounds like the plot of a weepy bestselling "women's" novel. But Metz's writing, although sometimes veering a bit toward the overly dramatic, is convincing, and we feel for her. She makes her story compellingly readable, and I have to confess that I read it all in one day. And I admire her (seeming, at least) honesty and openness even about aspects of the story that put her in a less than ideal light. There is always a slight feeling of voyeurism in reading a memoir like this one, but I think we learn about the human condition from such stories as well. (I admit that it is possible that the second half of that sentence may just be a rationale or excuse for the first half, but I am not going to go there today....)