Slow Motion

A Memoir of a Life Rescued by Tragedy

By: Dani Shapiro

Narrated by: Dani Shapiro

From one of the most gifted writers of her generation comes the harrowing and exquisitely written true story of how a family tragedy saved her life.

Dani Shapiro was a young girl from a deeply religious home who became the girlfriend of a famous and flamboyant married attorney—her best friend's stepfather. The moment Lenny Klein entered her life, everything changed: she dropped out of college, began to drink heavily, and became estranged from her family and friends. But then the phone call came. There had been an accident on a snowy road near her family's home in New Jersey, and both her parents lay hospitalized in critical condition. This haunting memoir traces her journey back into the world she had left behind. At a time when she was barely able to take care of herself, she was faced with the terrifying task of taking care of two people who needed her desperately.

Dani Shapiro charts a riveting emotional course as she retraces her isolated, overprotected Orthodox Jewish childhood in an anti-Semitic suburb, and draws the connections between that childhood and her inevitable rebellion and self-destructiveness. She tells of a life nearly ruined by the gift of beauty, and then saved by the worst thing imaginable. This is a beautiful and unforgettable memoir of a life utterly transformed by tragedy.

Fast paced memoir . Recommended!

This was fascinating. I read Inheritance and thought she was a little whiny. But this memoir was well written and I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s narration. Recommended!!!

Family Secrets

I found Dani Shapiro through her podcast “Family Secrets” which I became addicted to. Having grown up within a family with countless family secrets, I wanted t learn more. My first Dani book was The Inheritance which I loved and I moved quickly through many of her books. This one was difficult to read because I was introduced to a different and younger Dani. It brought all her other books and memoirs together in a new light. Loved this!

I love the rawness of this story

Dani is amazing. Her stories and dedication to revealing and questioning family secrets helps me feel seen and curious in my own story. Thank you!

A clear-eyed, full-hearted gem exploring self and family

If there is a golden thread that runs through Dani’s work, it is, in my estimation, an exploration of the narratives of identity. What are the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and our families, how we recreate them over time with hindsight and wisdom, and how we learn to truly love the deepest parts of ourselves and families where shame often resides. She does all this with literary grace and little, if any, sentimentality. Sharp, courageous, and compassionate.

Fantastic!

This is the first book by the author that I have read but it will not be my last. I was moved by the honest and excellent writing illuminating the many feelings she struggled with as a young woman. Being an only child with difficult parent dynamics was very relatable to my own experience. I am anxious to read more by this author!