Snap Beads

Snap Beads: A Remembering is a nonfictional memoir of an aging woman. During this story of time and memory a string of events unfolds that touches on historic and societal issues such as WWII and PTSD alcoholism drug addiction suicide abandonment adoption and survival. It is also about finding God self family and community. The metaphor of snap beads applies in two ways. First from a literary genre lens the tale consists of a series of memories that string together to create a whole narrative much like a sonnet cycle--or necklace--might. Second the protagonist seeks to become a part of a whole to finally belong to something connected and beautiful. From a professional and educational standpoint this work addresses narrative theory and challenges conceptualizations of composition traits genres and literary devices. It provides applicable content for teaching those very elements to students of reading and writing.