Reviews

Wow! What an incredible story of a former addict/ prisoner who completely changing her life around for the better. Lara faced many struggles and temptations that she encountered while trying to stay clean and work on her goal of betting custody of her son. During her time in prison Laura finds out she has a passion for writing and is really good at writing letters for other inmates in “their voice”. A lot more happens in this book but the blurb on the back confirms that she does go one to become a ghost writer for many famous people like Oprah and the Dalia Lama.

I highly recommend this book. It reads like fiction but it’s not. I would love to read more from this author.

Content Warnings

catieoakley's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

marisazane's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

The first time Lara Love Hardin took pills without a prescription, they were from father-in-law’s medicine cabinet. She’d never felt a sense of family and just wanted to make it through a visit with her husband’s family, who didn’t seem to like her. Hardin became addicted to pills because she thought they helped her keep up the appearance of the perfect mom and wife. She met her second husband in recovery, and he introduced her to heroin. Soon the cul de sac soccer mom was stealing her neighbors’ credit card information to fund her addiction. That didn’t last long. She was arrested at home in front of her toddler and he was placed in the CPS system. Hardin spent a year in jail where, to her surprise, she became a leader other women looked up to. The experience was eye opening, but not as much as the probation period and its nearly impossible litany of requirements. Eventually, Hardin finds success and fulfillment as a ghostwriter, and finally, the courage to tell her own story.
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I don’t rate memoirs but I flew through this redemption story and it was definitely worth reading. It made me think about the structure of the correctional system that sets people up to fail, the shame people are hiding, and society’s judgment of mothers and women.

bethkail's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

jtouchard23's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

This book is very inspiring and taught me a lot about the justice system. I happen to volunteer in this space so I was familiar with a lot of these struggles she describes as she tries to gain back her freedom and start a new life. It was a good reminder to be patient and accepting when people are really trying to do what is needed.

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