Week 12 Prompt

Author: Jill Christman 

Title: If This Were Fiction: A Love Story in Essays 

Publication date: September 1, 2022

Number of pages: 226 

Type: Nonfiction 

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

1. Highly narrative (read like fiction)

2. A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose

3. High fact based (has few or no narrative moments) 

2. What is the subject of the book?

1. The subject of this book is Jill Christman’s love story with her partner who passed away young, her journey to finding love again, and her journey to being a mother. 

3. What type of book is it? 

1. This is a non-fiction book that is a collection of essays written by the author. 

4. Articulate appeal 

1. What is the pacing of the book?

1. The book is paced pretty well. The book is written with funny, but sad and learning moments throughout Christman’s life. The pacing is often confusing on where you are in her life, but the essays read like standalones as you go. 

2. Describe the characters of the book

1. The characters are all members of Christman’s life journey, from childhood, to wild teen, to grieving fiance, to wife, and mother. The characters are the people she loves and has loved in her life. Christman, though, is the main character as she journeys through her fifty years of life and changes as she goes and encounters different life moments. 

3. How does the story feel?

1. This story feels wholesome and heat felt. There are a wide range of emotions felt throughout many of the essays in Christman’s book, and you feel every single one with her. There is happiness, sadness, fear, pain, and so much more that comes through in the essays she writes. 

4. What is the intent of the author? 

1. The intent of the author is to tell the journey of love through life and loss. She uses her essays to journey her life and her moments with the people she loves, and ultimately loving herself as well. 

5. What is the focus of the story? 

1. The focus of the story is her life journey to love and finding love within herself and her husband and her children. The experiences and lessons she has learned along the way. 

6. Does the language matter? 

1. The language does matter, as it helps create the tidal wave of emotions felt throughout each essay and for the book as a whole. 

7. Is the setting important and well described? 

1. The setting isn’t entirely important, as it is all Jill’s life, but she does a great job of placing you in each essay and where you are in her life both literally and physically. 

8. Are there details and, if so, what? 

1. The details are in the setting, the love, the lessons, and the moments she is expressing throughout the essays. What has happened and what has led her here. 

9. Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? 

1. No charts or graphs in this book. 

10. Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? 

1. Yes. Christman uses each essay to emphasize moments in her life that she experiences that has taught her something or brought her to understand something about life, love, loss, and ultimately herself as a woman. 

5. Why would a reader enjoy this book? (rank appeal)

1. The strong feminist presence throughout the novel 

2. The intense emotions about love, loss, life, and lessons.

3. The light-hearted essay approach makes this easy to read and easy to follow as well. 

Christman, J. (2022). If This Were Fiction: A Love Story in Essays. University of Nebraska Press.