Tim Phelan : Romance, Riches, and Restrooms

Humorous, offbeat IBS memoirs – apparently they’re not just for IBS sufferers anymore. Well, that’s the message that I took away from this latest book review, which was posted this morning by the blogger known as POD Critic. Of course, you’ll want to read the entire critique, but here’s a little preview to tide you over:

“Tim Phelan’s Romance, Riches, and Restrooms treats us to something quite rare: we get to peer into the mind and life of an individual who, through this unabashed memoir, allows us to become intimately familiar with him, and his “functional” disorder. Peppered with humor and the hilarious situations experienced by the author, the book expertly demonstrates the great burden shouldered by IBS sufferers, who must daily walk a tightrope of social scrutiny that no human being should be forced to. 

The author’s struggles with the disorder are penned with a rare precision that is at times enrapturing—given the level of writing—and at times as suspenseful as anything I’ve read in a good mystery. Some scenes will leave you on the edge of your seat…

In short, the book is an impressive contribution that is as important for its subject matter as for its entertainment value.”

It’s worth noting that POD Critic is the lead editor at a small New York publishing house, who, for the record, does NOT suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. And to me, that’s what’s so significant about his review.

Now, I’d always hoped (and half expected, honestly) that my memoir would one day be received enthusiastically by fellow IBS sufferers, and maybe, if I was very lucky, even by their friends and family, too. And, happily, I’ve been extremely fortunate to see those hopes realized in spades, which has been enormously gratifying. Similarly, I’ve been absolutely blown away to find out that the book has built up a cult following among people afflicted with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colits – honestly, I never saw that one coming.

But, all the while, I had an even bolder vision for how my story might raise public awareness for IBS on an even larger scale. Ignoring many relevant facts – for example, I’d never written a book before and was blissfully ignorant about the depressingly long odds of succeeding in the publishing business – I had somehow managed to convince myself that my quirky little memoir would find a wide audience beyond the IBS community.

The publishing industry uses the term “crossover” for a title that breaks out of its niche and unexpectedly goes on to enjoy broad, mainstream appeal. Don’t get me wrong – I realize that Romance, Riches, and Restrooms is still a long, long (LONG) way from achieving that kind of mass readership. But in my mind, reviews from publishing professionals like POD Critic offer validation that my wild dreams might not be so unrealistic after all.

-Tim