gigiinzim's review against another edition
4.0
Helen Fremont's memoir The Escape Artist, is the kind of book that draws you in and demands that you pay attention. You know the kind, you can't put it down because you want to know what happens next.
Full Disclosure: I have not read the previous book, but I found this one to be able to stand alone- although I may go back and read the other.
In this memoir Helen Fremont recounts her family history and how it has impacted the lives of not only herself but also her mother, father sister. She beautifully describes how trauma impacts our ability to relate with the world around us. This is a book about trauma, mental illness and our willingness to engage with the healing our family needs.
It is also a clear picture into the Fremont's hurting heart. As I read the pages of this book I felt how unresolved her pain is here. I hope that she finds healing and she is able to resolve her relationship with her sister.
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. My honest thoughts and opinions are reflected in this review.
Full Disclosure: I have not read the previous book, but I found this one to be able to stand alone- although I may go back and read the other.
In this memoir Helen Fremont recounts her family history and how it has impacted the lives of not only herself but also her mother, father sister. She beautifully describes how trauma impacts our ability to relate with the world around us. This is a book about trauma, mental illness and our willingness to engage with the healing our family needs.
It is also a clear picture into the Fremont's hurting heart. As I read the pages of this book I felt how unresolved her pain is here. I hope that she finds healing and she is able to resolve her relationship with her sister.
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. My honest thoughts and opinions are reflected in this review.
danyell919's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was interesting but also disturbing. There were so many secrets in this family - it’s no wonder the daughters suffered mentally and emotionally the way that they did.
This book was interesting but also disturbing. There were so many secrets in this family - it’s no wonder the daughters suffered mentally and emotionally the way that they did.
annabelphoel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
eb_bartels's review against another edition
5.0
Stay tuned for my review in the Wellesley College alumnae magazine! Spoiler alert: I loved it.
kelroka's review against another edition
4.0
Helen Fremont's second memoir The Escape Artist tells the story of her dysfunctional family, and the trauma that binds them together as it pushes them apart. It is a recounting of Fremont's life growing up with parents whose secrets threatened to swallow them whole, her sister's struggle with mental illness and, subsequently, her own struggles with mental illness.
It is the story of a family, the good and the bad, an attempt to make sense of her own history. It is the story of a person trying to make themselves anew out of the ashes of someone else's destruction.
I found this memoir an excellently written, compelling read. I would recommend this book to people who like to read about the dynamics of other people's families, and fans of memoir in general.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I was provided an ARC of this book from Gallery Books/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It is the story of a family, the good and the bad, an attempt to make sense of her own history. It is the story of a person trying to make themselves anew out of the ashes of someone else's destruction.
I found this memoir an excellently written, compelling read. I would recommend this book to people who like to read about the dynamics of other people's families, and fans of memoir in general.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I was provided an ARC of this book from Gallery Books/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
terryliz's review against another edition
4.0
Difficult to read at times, Helen Fremont eloquently chronicles the up and down relationships she had with her older sister and her parents.
meeshreads's review against another edition
3.0
I always feel guilty "rating" a memoir. I liked this book, but agree with other reviewers that it was a bit repetitive. I'm glad that Helen and Lara were able to grow out of this stifling childhood full of secrets and resentments and mental illness to live productive lives.