The Memory of All That: George Gershwin, Kay Swift, and My Family's Legacy of Infidelities
by Katharine Weber
The Memory of All That (6/15/2011)
Katharine Weber's memories in this small book are of the serial infidelities of her father, Sidney Kaufman, and her grandmother, Kay Swift's affair with George Gershwin. The subtitle of the book suggested that it was more about her grandmother and Gershwin than other infidelities in the family, but the first half of the book was taken up with her father's struggle to be known and his unfaithfulness to her mother. Other than the fact that he was constantly being investigated by the FBI for liberal leanings, it was pretty tedious reading. I don't know why someone wants to write about a parent's infidelity unless it is cathartic to them. The author definitely had issues with her parents and this comes across, loud and clear. The second portion of the book concerned her grandmother, grandfather, James Paul Warburg and George Gershwin. While Gershwin was a marvelous talent and it appeared Swift was also, it was disappointing to learn that they were silly, vain and self-centered. I plan to pass this book on to a friend to get her opinion, but I truly cannot recommend it for anything other than the excellent writing style.