Carrie Classon
Writer & Performer
Reviews:
“Classon lays herself bare in a way most of us only do in personal journals we hope are never read. Blue Yarn is a reminder that we all are adventurers and must follow our paths to wherever they might lead... a joy to read.”
—The Paris News
“Starting with a newly single American woman alone, unemployed, homeless and without even her phone, Blue Yarn takes you through the struggles and little victories of a woman seeking answers and peace. Through the mountains of Africa, the beaches in Nigeria and many places in between, Classon finds the answers she is seeking, even if she doesn’t like them. Seamlessly written, this story of despair, loneliness, shock and, finally, peace is one you will remember.”
—The Alvin Sun
“A triumphal story of self-discovery through travel. Carrie Classon’s Blue Yarn is wisdom won the hard way, unflinching candor with the reader and most importantly, with herself.”
—Gregory Martin, author of Stories for Boys and Mountain City
“Blue Yarn renders a woman's struggle to create her identity with stunning clarity and beauty. When the predictable pillars that shape who we believe we are collapse, what remains? Her journey delights and surprises with its courage, humor, and honesty. This memoir both entertains and enlightens in equal measure.”
—Michelle Brooks, author of Make Yourself Small and Dead Girl, Live Boy
“What does one do when one has lost everything of supposed worth? This is a book that in its epic emotional sweep tells us gently not to despair, not to lose faith, but once free of props to be more truly ourselves.”
—Daniel Mueller, author of How Animals Mate and Nights I Dreamed of Hubert Humphrey
“Classon’s storytelling is honest and insightful. She opens herself up to the emotions and discoveries that influenced the rediscovery of her passions under sometimes harrowing circumstances and learning to value herself in her own right and trust her inner voice.”
—The Mountain Mail
“It's rare when a book can make you cry, laugh and teach you about finding courage, resilience and hope—all at the same time. Difficult to put down, Blue Yarn is a journey of transformation that can't help but transform its readers. Carrie Classon delivers a heart-wrenching and mesmerizing memoir about holding on to her heart and hopes while performing an autopsy on what she believed to be a perfect marriage and love. What a great writer. Blue Yarn is magnificent.”
—The Inter-County Leader
"An inspirational read!” —The Orange Leader
"Without Classon’s own voyage of self-discovery, this would be only a very entertaining and well-written travelogue. But the discovery and subsequent recovery are there and hard earned. This is a brave, sad, wry, hopeful (and not to mention often hilarious) book."
—Jerry Shea, Professor Emeritus of Rhetoric, University of New Mexico
“The author shares her profoundly raw thoughts and feelings in this heartfelt memoir. Readers will enjoy the author’s touching tale of perseverance, as she survives true heartbreak after hitting rock-bottom in this smart memoir woven with just the right amount of shock and intrigue.”
—The Clintonville Chronicle