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Shy

A Memoir

Sian Prior

$32.99

Paperback

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English
Text Publishing Company
28 May 2014
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- This absorbing and revealing memoir deals with social anxiety, fame and its effects on relationships. Sian had suffered from shyness all her life, but had managed to hide her ‘failing’, adopting a more confident persona that carried her through careers in the public eye for two decades. When she entered a relationship with someone famed for his songwriting and singing, she could thought she had found someone whose reserve matched her own, and felt safe in his company. But whenever they were in company, people gravitated to him and ignored her, and her social anxieties grew. Deciding to research the topic, she also delves in to more personal questions regarding her past. Then her partner drops a bombshell…A book that will resonate with any woman who has been unceremoniously dumped by the man she thought was her true love. Sian might be criticised for not naming her ex but the book is about her, and not him, and I found this to be an effective method of dealing with the obvious trauma of losing him. I also find it hard to listen to his songs lately, but this memoir is a fine read. Lindy

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Shy. It's a shy word, a timid little word that begs to remain unnoticed. Only three letters long, and it begins with an exhortation to silence. Shhh. Reserved is different. It's for tall men with jutting jaws. Prime ministers can appear reserved: never shy. Restrained carries itself with dignity. Even introvert has a whiff of authority about it: these people have been tested; Myers and Briggs have awarded them an impressive three-syllable psychological label. But with shy there's no authority, no control. It's a blushing, hunching word; a nervous, knock-kneed, wallflower word. A word for children, not grown-ups, because surely grown-ups grow out of shyness. Don't they? Sian Prior has maintained a career in the public eye, as a broadcaster and performer, for more than twenty years. For far longer than that she has suffered from excruciating shyness. Eventually, after bolting from a party in a state of near-panic, she decides to investigate her condition. What is it-shyness? Where did hers come from? Why does it create such distressing turmoil beneath her assured professional front? As Sian begins to research the science of social anxiety, other factors present themselves as facets of the problem. Family, intimate friendships, self-perception and fear and longing and the consequences of love... While, in counterpoint, there is the security, the sense of belonging, she finds in the life she shares with Tom, her famous partner. Until he tells her he is leaving.

By:  
Imprint:   Text Publishing Company
Country of Publication:   Australia
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 153mm,  Spine: 20mm
Weight:   363g
ISBN:   9781922182272
ISBN 10:   1922182273
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Reviews for Shy: A Memoir

'A fascinating meditation on how temperament can shape a person’s life.' * Books+Publishing * 'A fascinating and engaging read.' * Readings Monthly * 'Charming and beautifully evoked...' * Weekend Australian * ‘The book interweaves psychological theory with personal experience in an intelligent and sophisticated manner...Shy is also a finely observed piece of writing. Prior captures details with prose equal to a skilled novelist...a deeply satisfying inquiry into the nature of self.' * Saturday Paper * 'A memoir that's heartfelt, sometimes entertaining, occasionally moving, and broadly informative.' * Otago Daily Times * 'Shy: A Memoir is warm and objective, funny and sad, and philosophical and informative...based on the beauty of this book, Prior could clearly write brilliantly about anything she likes...Shy is a book that you will want to simultaneously devour in one sitting and yet savour for weeks. It is at once genuinely intimate and yet universal in its application. It is the type of effortless read that must have taken a great deal of effort to write.' 4.5 out of 5 stars * Arts Hub * ‘Shy is a dynamic read…A book that rolls and moves and draws you along for the ride.’ * Writer’s Edit *


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