I usually do not read memoirs but this one was recommended to me so here we go.
This memoir is about the author and her siblings who grow up in poverty with dysfunctional parents. It starts when Jeannette was 3 and recounts all of the events that happened, leading to her eventual success as an editor and writer as an adult. She talks about all of her family members and when the novel ends, one is able to see what each individual grew up to become over the course of their childhood.
This story is heart-wrenching. It isn’t hard to imagine these things happening because we hear it on the news all the time but it is different when you are reading it from the perspective of someone actually going through these things. This book makes you rethink your life and how lucky you are to have what you have but it also inspires you; although Jeannette and her family struggled, in the end, she and her siblings managed to break free. It is also impossible to hate any character here. You cannot simply blame the parents completely and hate them and think of them as bad people. They weren’t horrible people – they just messed up a lot. There is no bad guy, there is no good guy. It seems so real and the situations are so easy to imagine because they truly did happen.
If you want a break from fiction and want something real, with raw emotions, then read this book. It will make you cry, it will make you feel guilty, but most of all, it will give you hope to fight against any and all adversities in your life.
Happy reading ~
This one was recommended to me as well. I’ve bought it and still haven’t cracked the cover for some reason. It’s raining, maybe that’s a good enough excuse to start it! Thanks for the review. It gives me an idea of what to expect :). I’ll brace myself!
Let me know what you think of it! I’m always curious to know others’ opinions!