Total Page : 432
Publisher : Random House
Publication Date : 2010 04 06
>> As Long As There Are Mailers There Will Be Stories
Norris Church Mailer has written a love story of her life with Norman Mailer He of the many wild affairs with women he couldn t resist the six wives and the eight children Theirs was a wild exciting time filled with one adventure after another and the crises that ensued Norris has had a wonderful life but not without trials and tribulations
Norris was born in Arkansas with the name Barbara Jean She had the southern upbringing that gave her the southern drawl and style that permeates much of her book Her mother and father were from poor hard working families and Barbara Jean knew what it was like to use an outhouse Her grandfather was a mule skinner or mule trainer and Norman used to tease her about her heritage Her mother had periods of depression most of Barbara s life but all in all she had a happy life She went to college married her high school sweetheart and had a son Matt They married too young and divorce followed Barbara Jean became a high school art teacher and she was an excellent teacher her students became her friends This was just before the hippie revolution with free love and sex and Barbara Jean loved the free and easy style Barbara Jean met Norman Mailer at a book signing and that was that A few meetings later Barbara Jean moved to be with him in New York City She had to leave her son with her parents but she vowed to bring him to NYC as soon as she could
Barbara Jean said the minute she stepped off the plane in NYC she found her home Norman met her at the airport and he gave her a kiss that lasted until they got to Brooklyn where he lived Barbara Jean met his family and in particular his mother who was the light of Norman s life They hit it off and that was the beginning of Barbara Jeans acceptance into the family Barbara Jean became a model and changed her name to Norris Church Norris was her married name and she loved church so it fit together Norman had told her about his many wives and children and one by one she came to meet them He was still married to wife 4 but involved with another woman It was all very complicated and a little intimidating Norris found her place in the family and organized the group took care of all of the events and important times in the lives of this large family She was able to bring her son Matt to her new life and he fit in perfectly After a few years she became pregnant and Norman decided it was time to divorce wife 4 and marry Norris After a long and winding road Norman divorced 4 married the woman who was to become wife 5 to make the child from that union legitimate and finally married Norris The heart and hearth of the family was finally the wife of the man she loved Their life was full of politics and parties and traveling and fun Meeting and greeting the famous and infamous Trips to Cuba and Russia and all over the world Their favorite place was their home in Provincetown Their life was hectic full of children and also full of love
Norris was an artist and writer in her own right Norman however never gave her that due Maybe he wanted only one famous person in the family Norris sold many paintings and later on went on to write her own books and was successful Life was good It was not until many years into their marriage that Norris discovered that Norman was unfaithful and as she was to find many many women were part of Norman s life Some of the women were older with some girth and as Norman told her sometimes he wanted to be the pretty one Somehow Norris was able to get past these many infidelities and they made a happy life She says that sex bound them together and the love they had for each other At one point Norris discovered she had cancer and she went through many surgeries chemotherapies and treatments for a virulent bowel cancer and somehow survived Norman had cardiac surgery and from that time on his health failed The most important man in the lives of the Mailer family died in 2007 Norris has gone on to make her own life Her children and grandchildren are a big part of that life She is still fighting the cancer that has followed her but she remains upbeat After all she has lived the life she wanted and in the manner that suited her
An entertaining and uplifting story in some aspects Norris Mailer gave up some of her life for the man she loved but she did it willingly Some women would not have followed the life she chose But in my mind she is a strong and independent woman and one to admire
Highly Recommended prisrob 04 07 10
Cheap Diamonds A Novel
Windchill Summer A Novel Ballantine Reader s Circle
