heyjude1965's review
3.0
Listened to on audio, read by the author. Depressing childhood with alcoholic, uncaring parents in the 60s-80s. She survived and is thriving. Good parents are a blessing not everyone has. I’m happy she was able to rise above.
joyasantarelli77's review against another edition
5.0
Easily one of the BEST books I’ve ever read.
Such a triumphant story of resilience and grace and grit. Erin Cole is a true survivor and I am so grateful I got the chance to read her story.
Would recommend to anyone! So many lessons weaves throughout this book. Loved it!
Such a triumphant story of resilience and grace and grit. Erin Cole is a true survivor and I am so grateful I got the chance to read her story.
Would recommend to anyone! So many lessons weaves throughout this book. Loved it!
lcannone's review against another edition
3.0
Narration for audiobook was ok and Erin Cole is incredibly talented. Such a sad childhood to which many can relate yet with a wonderful ending.
claudiavolano's review against another edition
4.0
It's so hard to understand why so many adults can be so brutal and neglectful to their children. I've read similar memoirs [Glass Castle, for one] and get that the adults are wrecked people and often running from their lives with alcohol to the detriment of everyone. The resilience of Erin Cook and her siblings was remarkable. Similar themes in this memoir and Glass Castle...the kids leave their homes as quickly as possible and usually still underage. Some get jobs and succeed, some crumble with their past trauma and suffer alcoholism and buried pain. Although I "enjoyed" the book, I'm not sure I can take reading any more brutal childhood tales. So upsetting. I fel blessed to have been safely and comfortably raised, never wanting for food, clothing or anything really. Although alcohol was a minor problem, it did affect us somewhat.
tiffanyperconti's review against another edition
5.0
Soooo good
If you like glass castle, freckled or any other story of growing around alcoholism then this will delight. These stories of triumph need to be required reading.
If you like glass castle, freckled or any other story of growing around alcoholism then this will delight. These stories of triumph need to be required reading.
lisa_cannone's review against another edition
3.0
Narration for audiobook was ok and Erin Cole is incredibly talented. Such a sad childhood to which many can relate yet with a wonderful ending.
icameheretoread's review against another edition
4.0
I could not put this down! How do more people not know about this book? The amount of resilience this kid shows in her life is astounding! For fans of [b:The Glass Castle|7445|The Glass Castle|Jeannette Walls|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1523542886s/7445.jpg|2944133] and [b:Fierce: A Memoir|429054|Fierce A Memoir|Barbara Robinette Moss|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441724541s/429054.jpg|418056]
Loved all of the photos in this book!
Loved all of the photos in this book!
oddandbookish's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This was such an amazing but heartbreaking read!
This book is a memoir. It details Erin Cole’s childhood told through short vignettes. What she went through growing up was so sad and intense. When you’re reading it, you keep thinking that her situation might get better, but it doesn’t until the very end.
On the flip side, it was still inspiring. The fact that she was able to persevere and become successful is so incredible.
I really like how the book was written because it had a nice balance between the good and the bad. There were a lot of sad stories but also some more humorous ones. Additionally, I enjoyed the writing style. It was very easy to read and flowed nicely. Using a co-author seemed to help in that regard.
I also liked how honest the book was. It never felt like the author was ever overly harsh or exaggerating. Going back to the balancing aspect, she even highlights a few nice memories/incidents with some of the people who hurt her in the past (like her dad’s girlfriend). She showed her situation as truthfully as possible.
Lastly, I also loved that she included some of her mom’s journal entries throughout the book. It gave a glimpse into her mind and an overall better understanding of why her mom was the way she was. The inclusion of the letters also goes back to the honesty of the book.
All in all, this book broke my heart but was so worth reading. I hope she continues to tell her life story in another book.
This was such an amazing but heartbreaking read!
This book is a memoir. It details Erin Cole’s childhood told through short vignettes. What she went through growing up was so sad and intense. When you’re reading it, you keep thinking that her situation might get better, but it doesn’t until the very end.
On the flip side, it was still inspiring. The fact that she was able to persevere and become successful is so incredible.
I really like how the book was written because it had a nice balance between the good and the bad. There were a lot of sad stories but also some more humorous ones. Additionally, I enjoyed the writing style. It was very easy to read and flowed nicely. Using a co-author seemed to help in that regard.
I also liked how honest the book was. It never felt like the author was ever overly harsh or exaggerating. Going back to the balancing aspect, she even highlights a few nice memories/incidents with some of the people who hurt her in the past (like her dad’s girlfriend). She showed her situation as truthfully as possible.
Lastly, I also loved that she included some of her mom’s journal entries throughout the book. It gave a glimpse into her mind and an overall better understanding of why her mom was the way she was. The inclusion of the letters also goes back to the honesty of the book.
All in all, this book broke my heart but was so worth reading. I hope she continues to tell her life story in another book.
tacomaven's review
4.0
Rounding up to 4 stars, easy read due to short chapters. Lots of trauma and abuse, she survived fairly intact. I wish I didn’t know people treated their kids like this. Heartbreaking and true.
karend's review
This memoir can be very hard to read … not because of the writing, but because so many adults failed these children. Kudos to Erin Cole for surviving and eventually thriving as an adult herself.
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