Kerry's Reviews > Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder

"...thanks to a combination of luck, the skill of surgeons and loving care...I'd been given a second shot at life. So the question was: What do you do with it? How do you use it? What should I do the same way, what might I do differently?"

I am still processing this short memoir by Rushdie that goes into the events and aftermath of his recent stabbing. I am not a big Rushdie fan and have only read Midnight's Children and found that tough going but an excellent read. I was drawn to this book after hearing the author interviewed by Terri Gross of NPR's Fresh Air. I am a medical person and was interested in hearing more about Rushdie's recovery from this traumatic attack. Yes there are medical/physical injuries that are discussed but this memoir looks primarily at the mental recovery and how Rushdie worked to recover his life.

I would hesitate to call this an older person's book but I feel this is a book that I would encourage anyone trying to recover from a tragic event and particularly would encourage anyone over 65 to read, as Rushdie recounts what he finds important and necessary as one grows older and the challenges age can present for all.

It was a fantastic read. Short, easy, heartfelt. I will be thinking about it for a long time. In line for the audio as Rushdie reads it himself and I feel this would add a lot. The title makes this sound like it might be angry or sad or perhaps bitter, but it is the most hopeful, inspirational book I have read in many a year. It may even inspire me to get back to more Rushdie. 5 stars