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.