Stop-Time: A Memoir

First published in 1967 and a huge influence on subsequent generations of writers, Frank Conroy’s Stop-Time is one of those classic coming-of-age memoirs that nobody seems to know about anymore. Conroy’s childhood was never wanting for drama--his mentally ill father died young, he attended a brutal boarding school, and he largely raised himself--but the book is much more about Conroy’s internal struggles than his external ones.

Masterfully written in clear yet lyrical prose, utterly devoid of self-pity or unnecessary embellishment, Stop-Time stands as a persuasive argument that while we can never fully escape the effects of our upbringing and probably shouldn’t try, we can transcend and appreciate them. It’s probably the most penetrating, honest examination of a developing psyche that I’ve ever encountered.

Best read slowly; a tremendous amount of thought is packed into every page, and you won't want to miss a thing.