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A review by liznorell
Wholly Unraveled: A Memoir by Keele Burgin
3.0
I listened to the audiobook of this memoir, which was read by the author -- the only kinds of nonfiction I'm generally willing to read. Keele Burgin's voice really enhanced the experience of learning this story, one plagued by childhood trauma and abuse, early 20s self-destructive behaviors, and a journey to find herself and her confidence.
It was moving. There was one scene in particular, on the shores of the lake where they'd rented a houseboat, that will remain seared in my mind for a very, very long time. If you're like me and find yourself drawn to stories about those caught in cult and cultish groups, you'll find that in this book.
Where I was disappointed in the story was in its abrupt ending. As the audiobook reached the end, I kept wondering how on Earth Burgin would manage to wrap up the story and launch us forward with something to hold onto. None of that was here. It just ... ended. I guess there was something of a conclusion, but not really.
Perhaps it's unreasonable of me, but if I'm going to invest hours of my life learning about your childhood trauma in detail, I feel like I've got a right to know how you are *NOW*. I caught tiny glimpses of that in the acknowledgements, but the book stops in the mid-1990s. This was a major flaw for me.
It was moving. There was one scene in particular, on the shores of the lake where they'd rented a houseboat, that will remain seared in my mind for a very, very long time. If you're like me and find yourself drawn to stories about those caught in cult and cultish groups, you'll find that in this book.
Where I was disappointed in the story was in its abrupt ending. As the audiobook reached the end, I kept wondering how on Earth Burgin would manage to wrap up the story and launch us forward with something to hold onto. None of that was here. It just ... ended. I guess there was something of a conclusion, but not really.
Perhaps it's unreasonable of me, but if I'm going to invest hours of my life learning about your childhood trauma in detail, I feel like I've got a right to know how you are *NOW*. I caught tiny glimpses of that in the acknowledgements, but the book stops in the mid-1990s. This was a major flaw for me.