Life's Accessories: A Memoir (and Fashion Guide) - Softcover

Levy Lesser, Rachel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1631526227 ISBN 13: 9781631526220

Publisher: She Writes Press, 2019

Synopsis

Rachel Levy Lesser can relive almost every significant life event through an accessory. A scarf, a pair of earrings, a bag, even a fleece pair of socks―each contains the elements that put together the story of a life. Life’s Accessories is a funny, sad, touching, relatable, shake-your-head-right-along-as-you-laugh-and-wipe-away-tears, coming-of-age memoir. In fourteen essays, Lesser tackles sensitive issues like anxiety, illness, and loss in a way that feels a bit like having a chat with a good friend. Out of the stories comes solid life―and fashion―advice. About far more than just a hair tie, a bracelet, or a belt, Life’s Accessories is a window into the many ways in which Lesser has come to understand life―in all of its beauty, its joys, its sorrows, its heartaches, its challenges, and its absurdity.

About this title

About the Author

Rachel Levy Lesser’s articles and essays have appeared in various outlets, including The Huffington Post, Glamour.com, Parenting.com, Kveller, Modern Loss, Scary Mommy, and The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent. She is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania and received her MBA from the Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan. In her previous life as a marketing professional, she worked on the business side of Time Inc. on magazines including InStyle, Life, People, Real Simple, and Sports Illustrated for Kids. Lesser lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two children. This is her fourth book.

Review

“I’d like to be one of Rachel Levy Lesser’s best friends even though I’ve never met her. You will too after you see how honestly she writes about her young life. She’s smart, funny, savvy, and knows what she wants in best friends, men, mothering, and fashion. Compare Rachel’s life to your own. You’ll recognize much and learn much.”
―Ilene Beckerman, author of Love, Loss, and What I Wore

“In fluid, engaging prose, Rachel Levy Lesser draws readers into her episodic coming-of-age story, from prep school student to mature mother and writer―accessorized charmingly throughout by symbolic talismans. Though grieving for her lost mother, she exudes a palpable joie de vivre, attracting a lively coterie, including us who read, as Best Friends Forever.”
―Paula Deitz, editor of The Hudson Review

“Rachel Levy Lesser had me on page one. Her storytelling is heartfelt, engrossing, entertaining, and as addictive as reading a friend’s diary. Life’s Accessories will undoubtedly leave readers wanting Lesser to add to her collection.”
―Amy Blumenfeld, author of The Cast

“In Rachel Levy Lesser’s episodic memoir, worn talismans give her the strength to claim her voice, weather grief, and navigate a rich and full life. Reminiscent of Ilene Beckerman’s classic Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Lesser captures the pressures and pleasures of a new generation of women as her warmth and wisdom shine through.”
―Andrea Jarrell, author of I’m the One Who Got Away

“I literally could not put this book down. I fell in love with Rachel on page one, and by the last chapter I was convinced she was my long lost BFF. She writes with humor and grace, and takes us on her life’s journey with vulnerability and wit. It’s a winning combo! Rachel is as real and authentic as it comes. Wish we could be mom friends in real life!”
―Ali Katz, author of One Minute to Zen

“Life’s Accessories is a charming and deeply relatable exploration of the significance inanimate objects―clothing and accessories―have to remind us of who we are and of where we came from. Lesser imbues each anecdote, centered on a piece of clothing, jewelry, or accessory, with humor, wisdom, and memory. She excavates her own personal history through particular objects in her closet, and makes the personal universal. I laughed, I cried, I nodded vigorously in agreement as I read. I loved this book.”
― Lindsey Mead, writer and editor of On Being 40(ish)

“Life’s Accessories is a poignant story, told through the universal language of stuff. Rachel uses meaningful items from her past to weave together stories that made her into the wife, mother, and daughter she is today. From perms to summer camp, post-baby weight loss to making mom friends, Rachel paints a relatable, compelling picture of her highs and lows, and beautifully writes about the loss of her mother. Life’s Accessories is this season’s must-have accessory for your best girlfriend’s bedside table.”
― Zibby Owens, writer and creator/host of the Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books podcast

“Life’s Accessories, a new memoir by Rachel Levy Lesser, cleverly uses articles of clothing and jewelry to shape the story of the author’s life. Her stories are relatable and accessible. Reading Lesser’s memoir is like sifting through a closet with a friend, stopping to pause over certain items and remembering why they meant so much in the first place. She artfully reminds us how even just thinking about an object can immediately transport us right back to a moment in time.”
―Beth Ricanati, physician and author of Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs

“Often our memories of those we have lost are mere glimpses and images of the past and our time with that person. In Life’s Accessories, Rachel Levy Lesser honors us with the privilege of those glimpses and images through the beautiful window of her words. You will laugh, cry, and sit with the words of wisdom that Rachel shares. Rachel’s gift of storytelling will find you reflecting on your own memories and the accessories that you carry with the memories of those you have loved and lost.”
―Darcy Walker Krause, director of Uplift Center for Grieving Children

“Through both her sheer bravery and evident joy from mining years’ worth of coming-of-age memories, Rachel Levy Lesser has proven that the term ‘grief book’ is anything but a one-note category. I smiled with tears in my eyes throughout this entirely creative paper journey documenting the LOL-worthy and poignant moments from adolescence and young adulthood, and the hard lessons some of us get schooled in earlier than we might expect.”
―Rebecca Soffer, coauthor of Modern Loss: Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome.

“A thoroughly enjoyable read from an author who immediately feels like your best friend as she grabs your arm and reveals stories equally lighthearted and tender about motherhood, family, love, loss, and friendship.”
―Marisa Bardach Ramel, author of The Goodbye Diaries: A Mother-Daughter Memoir

Edition details

• Publisher: She Writes Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1631526227
• ISBN 13: 9781631526220
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 160