Reviews tagging 'Death'

Somebody's Daughter: A Memoir by Ashley C. Ford

73 reviews

sadieh's review against another edition

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4.5


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laurenkimoto's review against another edition

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4.0

Ashley C. Ford tells her story in an unflinching manner.

To me there almost seems to be a double meaning of being "somebody's daughter". There is the sense that we are shaped by the relationships or lack of relationships we have with our parents and how they are shaped by their relationships with their parents and so on and so on. But there is also the meaning of being "somebody's daughter" when talking about SA; that people need to be "somebody's daughter" or mother or sister to be humanized. Ford is really able to capture both of these meanings in a way that allows everyone to see themselves in it. 

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karaswils's review against another edition

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4.0

“I didn’t want anyone to be a villain, and I didn’t want anyone to be a hero or a savior.” This statement perfectly encapsulates the way Ashley C. Ford depicts her most formative and heart-wrenching childhood, adolescent, and young adult experiences in Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir. Everyone in the book gets a fair shake from Ford’s perspective, including her father who served 25 years in prison, and her violent and vivacious mother who raised her. 

The content warnings for this book are about a mile long, but nothing is gratuitous or sensationalized—it is simply honest, and even kind and sympathetic at points. Furthermore, Ford is able to clearly articulate the motivations, perceptions, and disappointments that everyone in the memoir feels, especially her and the people who raised her. But she still keeps her perspective and truth front and center, and thus the love, heartbreak, and truth in her story shine through. 

Ashley C. Ford is an excellent narrator as well as writer. I highly recommend the audio version of this book.

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britreads's review against another edition

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3.75


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tealight's review against another edition

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4.0

It’s hard to put into words what it is about Ford’s writing that feels as though she’s pulling you right into a memory. I usually don’t conjure up images as I read, and she hardly ever describes what anything looks like, but something about the raw emotion in her telling puts you so directly into the scene that I found myself imagining her and the people around her, in the spaces they occupied, as they might’ve appeared.

The book is often described as being about her father and his incarceration, but I felt that her mother was the true fulcrum of the book. Ford’s relationship with her, from childhood to adulthood, runs you through the full gamut of emotions. Anger at the abuse and callousness her mother was capable of, awe at her ability to raise four children as a single parent, and a deep empathy for what it’s like to love someone who is so imperfect. No other person felt so real and so laid bare in their humanity.

What I thought could’ve been better wasn’t so much in what was there, but what was missing. Ford sometimes pulled back when I wanted her to press on, changing abruptly in intensity from one chapter to the next, in a way that left my emotions lagging behind to catch up. There was a lump in my throat as she described the moment that she learned the truth of what her father had done, and then suddenly we’ve moved onto a typical teen conundrum: lying to her mom so she could go out with her friends. Between scene to scene, there were often parts that you keenly felt the absence of. Some books you desperately wish were shorter, this was one where I wanted more.

And I did search for more. I read some of the author’s interviews afterwards, and also even while reading, because I just wanted to hear more of what she had to say. That’s probably more praise than anything I could ever write about the memoir. In a way, I found her unscripted responses even more illuminating without the need to order her thoughts into a publishable narrative. She’s definitely a writer I hope to read more from, and I’m delighted that she’s involved in all sorts of other media as well.

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mmccombs's review against another edition

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4.5

This was a truly stunning memoir. It was heartbreaking and honest and made me feel less alone. To bear one’s heart and history this way, in such clear and approachable prose, makes for a brave and achingly lovely book. I think this is a must read and a new US classic.

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maggies's review against another edition

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4.0

Ford's unflinching memoir is beautiful and sad and hopeful, and I'm so glad I read it. Her thoughtfulness and care when relating her experiences and how others' experiences impacted her was inspiring.

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kaiyanicole's review against another edition

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4.0


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meghan's review against another edition

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4.0


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katielaine_w's review against another edition

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4.0


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