Why I like Nancy Friday!!

"When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself." Nancy Friday

Nancy Friday has been one of the most provocative and controversial writers ever. Her first book 'My Secret Garden' that spoke about sexuality in the open was criticized and not well accepted by thesociety of the 70s due to its bare, truthful and controversial content.

I came across her book in 2000 while studying in Austin. I was at Barnes and Noble on saturday afternoon and while browsing through the books in the fiction section, weirdly, I found 'My Secret Garden'. Honestly, I too was shocked with its content but what I saw between the lines were stromng qualities of a woman who said it like it was. Nancy Friday makes you think about topics that would be considered too "shocking" or "amoral".

“Spontaneous and honest love admits errors, hesitations, and human failings; it can be tested and repaired. Idealized love ties us because we already intuit that it is unreal and are afraid to face this truth.” Nancy Friday

Nancy Friday also talks about Jealousy, Anger and other such emotions in her follow up books through the years. She has also addressed men and their emotions in her book 'Men in Love'. All in all, I think the her best work was the one she has done about Mothers and Children and the relationship they share.

Nancy Friday may not be a literary genius like Proust or Shakespeare but she is honest and is not afraid of speaking her mind. That's what I like about her!!