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Cecily Strong had a special bond with her cousin Owen. And so she was devastated when, in early 2020, he passed away at age thirty from the brain cancer glioblastoma. Before Strong could attempt to process her grief, another tragedy struck: the coronavirus pandemic. Following a few harrowing weeks in the virus epicenter of New York City, Strong relocated to an isolated house in the woods upstate. Here, trying to make sense of Owen's death and the upended world, she spent much of the ensuing months writing. The result is This Will All Be Over Soonâa raw, unflinching memoir about loss, love, laughter, and hope.
Befitting the time-warped year of 2020, the diary-like approach deftly weaves together the present and the past. Strong chronicles the challenges of beginning a relationship during the pandemic and the fear when her new boyfriend contracts COVID. She describes the pain of losing her friend and longtime Saturday Night Live staff member Hal Willner to the virus. She reflects on formative events from her life, including how her high school expulsion led to her pursuing a career in theater and, years later, landing at SNL.
Yet the heart of the book is Owen. Strong offers a poignant account of her cousin's life, both before and after his diagnosis. Inspired by his unshakable positivity and the valuable lessons he taught her, she has written a book thatâas indicated by its titleâserves as a moving reminder: whatever challenges life might throw one's way, they will be over soon. And so will life. So make sure to appreciate every day and don't take a second of it for granted.
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
August 10, 2021 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781797129907
- File size: 152927 KB
- Duration: 05:18:35
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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"Saturday Night Live" star Cecily Strong narrates appealingly, often with raw emotion that fits the harrowing losses she experienced last year--the death of a favorite cousin to cancer, a new boyfriend stricken with COVID, and an SNL friend succumbing to the virus. Her pacing and comedic timing make listening easy, even when compact stories and vignettes appear in rapid succession like comedy one-liners. Her New York City street smarts provide an interesting contrast to the richness of her emotional life and her connection with her cousin, Owen. Memories of her formative years and path to comedy fame are also fun to hear, but it's her resilience and hope that are featured in this remarkable audio. Drawing on what she gained from Owen's love and support, her touching reflections will continue inspiring long after this absorbing audio is finished. T.W. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine -
May 24, 2021
Saturday Night Live cast member Strong shows her serious side in this uneven if earnest memoir about the death of her cousin. Covering a year in diary-style entries, she begins in March 2020, two months after her cousin Owen died at age 30 of brain cancer. With SNL on hiatus due to the pandemicâand a new romance with someone whoâd contracted Covid-19 on holdâshe had time to reflect on her friendship with the funny, bird-obsessed Owen. Strong shares Owenâs text messages and glimpses of him facing cancer with courage and humor (âYou know how everybody goes... on WebMD and panics and convinces themselves they have brain cancer? Well Iâm the one who actually had brain cancerâ), but he remains somewhat remote. Strongâs writing is more vivid when she explores her own life, notably her 1990s childhood with her troubled but bighearted brother (âI bit him hard once in the armpitâ) and the high school expulsion that led her to find her âpeopleâ at the Chicago Academy for the Arts. While fans may be left wanting more of Strongâs personal story, her sincere tribute is nonetheless touching. Agents: Cindy Uh and Cait Hoyt, CAA.
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