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A review by mmarlborough
The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
This was just picked by Oprah’s Book Club! I love a memoir. I think it’s the best way to step in someone else’s shoes. While I was intrigued by this one, it wasn’t a slam dunk for me.
Lara is a successful suburban soccer mom to everyone she knows. But she’s hiding a deep secret: she’s stealing her neighbors’ credit cards to get her next heroin purchase. Finally caught and send to prison, she must face her addiction, guilt, and decisions all while detoxing. After hitting rock bottom, Lara knows she wants to never be in this position again and vows to change her life. But the system isn’t kind to convicted felons and she has to learn to forgive herself before she can rebuild her life.
Addiction runs in my extended family, so I found this memoir fascinating and triggering. I love the main idea of the book: that a person isn’t the worst thing that they have done and that change is possible. I was really invested in Lara and found her voice and ownership of her mistakes powerful. Where this book lost some stars for me is the rushed puzzled feeling I got while reading it. Would have loved more backstory on Lara’s childhood, more depth and introspection with her back in society, etc. Things also jumped around a little bit: all of sudden she’s met a new man, but it’s not explained fully who he is or how he’s come into her life. I’m glad I read this one but I wanted a bit more!
✨Trigger Warnings: Drug Use, Addiction, Suicide Attempt, Infidelity, Death of a Parent, Self Harm, Pregnancy, Domestic Abuse
Lara is a successful suburban soccer mom to everyone she knows. But she’s hiding a deep secret: she’s stealing her neighbors’ credit cards to get her next heroin purchase. Finally caught and send to prison, she must face her addiction, guilt, and decisions all while detoxing. After hitting rock bottom, Lara knows she wants to never be in this position again and vows to change her life. But the system isn’t kind to convicted felons and she has to learn to forgive herself before she can rebuild her life.
Addiction runs in my extended family, so I found this memoir fascinating and triggering. I love the main idea of the book: that a person isn’t the worst thing that they have done and that change is possible. I was really invested in Lara and found her voice and ownership of her mistakes powerful. Where this book lost some stars for me is the rushed puzzled feeling I got while reading it. Would have loved more backstory on Lara’s childhood, more depth and introspection with her back in society, etc. Things also jumped around a little bit: all of sudden she’s met a new man, but it’s not explained fully who he is or how he’s come into her life. I’m glad I read this one but I wanted a bit more!
✨Trigger Warnings: Drug Use, Addiction, Suicide Attempt, Infidelity, Death of a Parent, Self Harm, Pregnancy, Domestic Abuse