Alexandra Fuller’s new memoir, “Leaving Before The Rains Come” (Penguin Press, $26.95), tells a story of personal growth in all times of life, whether they be times of joy or times of pain.
Through a series of flashbacks from her childhood in Africa and life lessons learned from her outspoken family and their ancestors, British-born Fuller tells the story of how she met her husband and of her marriage to him despite the fact that she had malaria on her wedding day.
After spending the first years of their marriage in Zimbabwe, where Fuller spent her time volunteering in a clinic, they moved to Idaho. Eventually, they moved again to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Faced with the trial of a failing marriage, Fuller turned to the many lessons she learned as she grew up in Africa, as well as those she learned once she came to the States.
“I hope it is for everyone to see what kind of personal prison they’re in, how they got there, and how they can get out,” Fuller said during a phone interview with the Deseret News. “I believe that transcends gender, faith and even time and place. Yes, this is my personal experience, but some of these things are universally felt.”
Fuller quotes her father in the 272-page book as saying, “The problem with most people is that they want to be alive for as long as possible without having any idea whatsoever how to live.”
Feeling trapped in a failing marriage with children and troubling finances to take care of, Fuller fell extremely ill and knew that for the well-being of herself and her family, she needed to break out of her own personal prison.
Fuller began her writing career after numerous manuscripts of fiction novels were rejected. Feeling discouraged but still wanting, almost needing, to continue to write, she turned to the only thing she could think of: the truth.
“There is a myth that writers get to choose their stories. You don’t get to choose your story any more than you get to choose your children,” Fuller said. “You can make the decision to write, but beyond that, at the end of the day, it’s going to come out how it’s going to come out.”
“Leaving Before The Rains Come” is Fuller’s fifth work of nonfiction and her fourth memoir. Throughout her writing process, Fuller had to make many choices about what experiences to put into her memoir and what events she would leave out.
“Oh, I don’t keep a journal. How you remember an incident is dictated by your emotional state at the time. How you receive the information that is coming in is definitely based on your history and who you are,” Fuller said. “For a memoir to really succeed, the author has to do such hard work before they come to the page. They have to do a brutal self-examination of everything they believe to be true.”
Memory is fluid, which makes writing a book like this difficult at times, she said.
“The writing process is definitely transformative,” Fuller said. “I don’t really feel like I can speak to the woman who is in that book, or even the woman who wrote that book, because the process of doing all that work is so transformative.”
Fuller still lives on a ranch in Jackson Hole. She had three kids with her ex-husband — Her oldest daughter was born while they were still in Africa, and her last two children were born when they had moved to the United States.
The book has minor swearing scattered throughout and one mention of infidelity; however, there are no descriptive scenes of violence or sexual content.
If you go ...
What: Alexandra Fuller book signing
When: Monday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
Where: The King's English, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Web: kingsenglish.com
Note: Places in the signing line are reserved for those who purchase a copy of the featured book from The King's English.
Email: mswensen@deseretnews.com