Walking Through Walls: A Memoir (Hardcover)

~ Philip Smith (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Smith, an artist and former managing editor of GQ magazine, reflects on his youth in 1960s Miami. He wanted a father who mowed the lawn, drank beer, and fell asleep in front of the TV. Instead, his dad, Lew Smith, was a successful interior decorator, who went through a macrobiotic transformation and began tuning into mystical vibrations. Young Philip was introduced to fasting and yogic diets, while Lew explored esoteric spirituality, reincarnation, Bach Flower Remedies and such metaphysical arcana as the akashic records, an ethereal Library of Congress of every soul in human history: [Philip] wasn't sure if this endless invisible database also included reruns of I Love Lucy or Perry Mason, but it probably did. After a 1968 encounter with famed trance medium Arthur Ford, Lew found his true calling as a psychic healer, and overnight our isolated house became Lourdes central. Smith's fine flair for waggish anecdotes is especially evident in his riotous recall of being suckered into Scientology at age 17. He looks back at his father with much affection in this mirthful memoir that bounces between the comic and the cosmic. Smith is a gifted humorist, and readers are certain to request more merriment. (Sept. 16)
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From School Library Journal

Starred Review. In this astounding coming-of-age story, Smith, former managing editor of GQ, describes his father's transformation from Miami's famed decorator-to-the-wealthy into something altogether more strange—the then-backwater city's resident psychic healer who performed exorcisms and seances and rid both the rich and the poor of infections, cancer, and paralysis. Here's the twist: according to the author, Lew Smith could truly heal people. The problem is that the author wanted a normal dad, one who sells insurance, comes home from work, has a beer, and falls asleep in front of the TV. A 1970s teen rebellion ensued. Hilarious and touching; for fans of the goofball and paranormal.—Elizabeth Brinkley
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Atria; First Edition edition (September 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416542949
• ISBN-13: 978-1416542940
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (193 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #367,133 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable and fascinating memoir, August 29, 2008

By	Margaret Dybala "too many books, too little time" (Pearland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

This engaging memoir is so readable that I could hardly put it down. It is the story of a family living in Florida, with the author growing up in the 1950's and coming of age during the '60s. His mother is a wonderful, lovely woman. It sounds patronizing to say she is "colorful," and I don't mean it like that. She is a beautiful, interesting person who walks to her own music. His father is a successful interior decorator and there is a great story of him being kidnapped to work in a palace in Haiti during the 1950's.

The idyllic life changes, however, when the father begins to acquire a "spiritual healing power." Soon there is talk of reading the Akashic record, using pendulums to discern truth, psychic healings, etc. A large part of the book is about the strain this puts on the marriage, and how difficult, yet also magical, it was to grow up around all of this.

I don't want to say too much more, since I am borderline spoiler already. But this is a worthwhile read, and I hope it makes bestseller.

On a personal note, I also grew up with a family member who claimed this kind of ability. I felt happy, in a bittersweet way, that it wasn't so bad for the author. For me, I felt like I lived in a Stephen King book sometimes. I usually hate this sort of thing (imagine growing up in Rose Red or the Overlook!). I state this to show how compelling and well written this book is!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars charts a son's pathway to acceptance, then admiration, August 30, 2008

By	T. Fraser (Texas Hill Country, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

This book contains two stories: one, the account of Lew Smith's metamorphosis from society decorator to psychic healer and two, the author's pathway from embarrassment, to acceptance and finally to admiration for his father's talents.

We are able to follow Lew Smith's metaphysical pathway and growth, as well as the hurdles and derision he must overcome in practicing his healing. For those who have a firm belief in the superiority of allopathic medicine, the recounting of Lew Smith's use of healing energies, discussion of the etheric body and use of a pendulum to diagnosis disease will probably have a few eyes rolling. For those who share Smith's view of modern medicine ("You know what your wonderful doctors do? They give you some pills that make you sicker than when you walked in the door. Then they give you more pills to counteract the first pills..."), you'll wish he could have taught in a medical school and been given the latitude to introduce an entirely new aspect to the teaching of medical care. Instead, Lew Smith had to contend with visits from FDA inspectors, confrontations with arrogant doctors and being hauled away by police when he tries to help an accident victim.

Being "normal" is the life wish of most kids and we see the author's struggle for normal in statements such as "At the age of ten, I was not about to sit down and simply be the only acid-balanced, nontoxic macrobiotic kid in all of Miami." The dualism of his growing up - "out of necessity I developed a dual personality. During school hours I needed to appear as normal as possible, in order to avoid being beaten up or laughed out of class...", and his desire for a 'normal' father - "What I really wanted was a father who mowed the lawn, drank beer, and fell asleep in front of the TV."

Fortunately for all who read this book, Philip does take in his father's lessons ("I didn't want to tell my father, but since that first lesson, I had been practicing the pendulum a lot...") because this acceptance of his father's teachings allows for a better and more insightful retelling of his father's talents. The culmination of the author's coming full circle and fully appreciating what a remarkable man his father was comes with his eulogy at his father's funeral: "...my father devoted his life to creating the future of medicine. He struggled against official ignorance and prejudice...We may not begin to even understand what he did until the next century...I know he would want his work to live on...".

Lew Smith's son has ensured his story and work will live on in this wonderful book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining memoir, albeit, a bit oversold in the comparisons., January 19, 2009

By	Kevin Nicholls "jaded, aging hipster" (Milford, MI) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

The item description, and indeed the back of the book promise something nearing the calibre of "Running With Scissors". However, it seems that the biggest quality Philip Smith shares with Augusten Burroughs, is a penchant for embellishment.

Don't get me wrong, the writing is above average, and the characters are intriguing -- though as others have noted, there's a serious "something" that makes the reader lose interest in them as the book progresses. And perhaps that sums up the book well...

There's "something" that's keeping this book from being brilliant. There are more than a few times when you find yourself thinking "This would be great, *if*..." and it makes you start to question how much of the book is accurate, and how much is the product of artistic license.

Without question, a decent beach book. A not-terrible coffee shop book. But overall, unsatisfying and not worth much commitment.