Scan barcode
crybabybea's review against another edition
4.5
I especially found the writing similar to other memoirs such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Dr. Maya Angelou and I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, in the way that Ashley C. Ford is able to capture her own childhood voice and mix it with her reflection as an adult. She painted a full picture of the events that shaped her, as well as the people closest to her.
I appreciated especially the portrayal of her mother, who was imperfect in every way; abusive but loving, joyful but full of fear and stress, neglectful but caring, and overall just a woman trying her best with what she was given. As well, her father, incarcerated for 20+ years for a crime unknown to Ashley for the majority of her life (and unknown to the reader until the memoir reaches that point in Ashley's timeline) is a full figure of doting and adoration, while Ashley has to reconcile with the reality his crime and what it means to herself and her family. I found the exploration of familial relationships relatable and touching.
Definitely a standout memoir.
Graphic: Fatphobia, Rape, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Violence
wandering_canuck's review against another edition
5.0
On its face, it is the experience of a girl whose father is incarcerated for a violent crime throughout her childhood and the mother who raised her as a single parent. Oh, but it is so much more.
This searingly honest book captures the complexity of families and our relationships within them. This memoir recounts an imperfect life in an imperfect family with both kindness and honesty. Ashley speaks of her parents and grandmother with love, striking the delicate balance of treating them not as heroes nor as villains.
Ford's writing is akin to that of Roxane Gay, managing to be both poetic and accessible. Simply fabulous. I cannot give it enough stars.
Listen to the audiobook if you can; hearing the memoir in the author's voice makes it that much more convincing.
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Child abuse
cartermon4's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Miscarriage, Cancer, Classism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Body shaming
hannahcstocks's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Rape, Grief, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Cancer, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Stalking, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition
4.0
“We don’t give up on our people. We don’t stop loving them.” She looked into my face, her eyes watering at the bottoms. “Not even when we’re burning alive.”
There is something about memoirs that are written so beautifully they almost read like magical realism that just does it for me. Ashley C. Ford's voice is one of the most lyrical and emotional I have come across this year - I couldn't stop reading it.
This book is so incredibly crafted, you can feel all the love and hard work Ashley has poured into it. I especially loved following this up with Ford's interview with Clint Smith, author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, which touched on so many aspects of the book that I was curious about while reading; it cemented this book as a real masterpiece in my mind.
Considering how short this book is, I do not want to go into a summary of the novel, but I will mention what my favourite aspect - besides the prose - was. This is, of course, a trend for me at this point, but exploring different family dynamics and familial love was the highlight of this book. It's something that never fails to grasp my attention, but the way Ford approached it made me feel like I was experiencing everything she described for myself, particularly when it came to her relationship with her mother and grandmother.
The reason that I cannot give this book the full 5 stars is that I found the beginning to be difficult to get into and I almost put the book down. I am so glad I powered through it, but it was a little bit of a challenge. I also this that certain very important events in Ford's life were glossed over due to the conciseness of this book. I think it would have been very impactful to explore these (no spoilers!) in more detail.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Grief, Rape, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Minor: Infidelity, Fatphobia, Drug use, Body shaming, and Alcoholism
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Cursing, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Stalking
bashsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I also greatly enjoyed the interview at the end between Ford and Clint Smith; it is always enlightening to hear great writers discuss their craft. (I may listen to that portion again after reading Smith's book, since he discusses his own word in-depth, too.)
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Miscarriage
Minor: Cancer, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, and Stalking
Incarceration also comes up a lot, since the author's father is in prison for most of the book.hanhodge's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual assault, and Rape
marigold_faye's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Body shaming, and Child death
Minor: Terminal illness, Death, Cancer, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Grief
rachelmarie220's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
Minor: Eating disorder, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Pedophilia, Death, and Blood