Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Somebody's Daughter: A Memoir

All in all, I enjoyed the memoir. She's a fantastic writer. Her relationship with her parents, mother in particular, and family is relatable. I for one and the daughter who left home and rarely comes home. Not estranged but not close, especially enough to fully understand things like my brothers' sadnesses and such. Or how calls with my mom sometimes are jovial "hello MOTHER" to "Hey, don't make it seem as if we don't have happy times".

I think the lead was buried and once we got to the lead, it never really got into the deeper introspection. Felt like she circled around the main topics and never got to the point.

The middle of the memoir has the most meat to it. The beginning and ending were strangely detached and vague to me - almost too objective.

Even in the interview she had with the other author after the acknowledgement. There are hints that she left details out to protect her family and other people in her life. Which is fair and valid, but it made the narrative kind meander and left holes in aspects of her life - like unfinished thoughts. The memoir ended up being a bit lackluster and in some aspects of trite because there were parts that felt said because it was the safer bet.

Honestly, a pitfall I myself would probably make it I wrote a memoir that could hurt and reflect poorly on those I love.

Content Warnings