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A review by agirlandabook85
Craigslist Confessional: A Collection of Secrets from Anonymous Strangers by Helena Dea Bala
4.0
Inspired after a conversation with a homeless man Helena posted an ad on Craigslist promising to listen, anonymously and for free, to whatever the speaker felt they wanted to say but was unable to tell anyone else. This book tells us what 44 of those people had to say. Ranging from devastating trauma to lost love, we hear reflections on hard choices and some deeply disconcerting admissions from others and in contrast we also are provided some really heartwarming ones.
As a lover of biographies and memoirs I have a fascination with people’s stories. I am often guilty of people watching trying to imagine who they are and what secrets they may be keeping. One of my favourite songs as a teenager was Traffic by the Stereophonics in which a lady is glimpsed for a second in traffic and we hear all the possibilities of who she might be. So a book compiled with 44 people telling their deepest and darkest secrets, feelings, regrets they held in their soul anonymously really appealed to me.
Now when I say deepest and darkest I do not mean that lightly! This book covers some difficult subjects and comes with a long long list of content warnings (see below). It is rare that a book upsets me, I often empathise with characters / subjects and feel emotional but some of the stories told within this book created a visceral rush of emotions. I will warn you I had to stop listening at parts and take some time away before recommencing, it was that overwhelming.
You may wonder why I continued, but despite such depressing and harrowing stories there ultimately was real and fascinating people behind those words and I felt that they deserved to have their stories heard. I also found some parts really inspirational which showed the true strength of the human spirit to survive.
This is definitely one I would recommend if you have an interest in true life stories but that recommendation comes with caution and awareness of its contents, I have included some CWs below.
Serious illness, cancer, paedophilia, arranged marriage, domestic abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, addiction (drug, alcohol, social media, sex), suicidal thoughts/ attempts, adultery/ relationship breakdowns, transitioning, death of a loved one, transphobia, homophobia, dementia/ Alzheimer’s, verbal abuse, gaslighting, depression, severe anxiety, sexual assault, rape, prostitution, child abuse, abortion, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, PTSD, self-harm, SIDS/ infant death, weight gain, eating disorders (inc. bulimia), medical negligence … and probably more
As a lover of biographies and memoirs I have a fascination with people’s stories. I am often guilty of people watching trying to imagine who they are and what secrets they may be keeping. One of my favourite songs as a teenager was Traffic by the Stereophonics in which a lady is glimpsed for a second in traffic and we hear all the possibilities of who she might be. So a book compiled with 44 people telling their deepest and darkest secrets, feelings, regrets they held in their soul anonymously really appealed to me.
Now when I say deepest and darkest I do not mean that lightly! This book covers some difficult subjects and comes with a long long list of content warnings (see below). It is rare that a book upsets me, I often empathise with characters / subjects and feel emotional but some of the stories told within this book created a visceral rush of emotions. I will warn you I had to stop listening at parts and take some time away before recommencing, it was that overwhelming.
You may wonder why I continued, but despite such depressing and harrowing stories there ultimately was real and fascinating people behind those words and I felt that they deserved to have their stories heard. I also found some parts really inspirational which showed the true strength of the human spirit to survive.
This is definitely one I would recommend if you have an interest in true life stories but that recommendation comes with caution and awareness of its contents, I have included some CWs below.
Serious illness, cancer, paedophilia, arranged marriage, domestic abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, addiction (drug, alcohol, social media, sex), suicidal thoughts/ attempts, adultery/ relationship breakdowns, transitioning, death of a loved one, transphobia, homophobia, dementia/ Alzheimer’s, verbal abuse, gaslighting, depression, severe anxiety, sexual assault, rape, prostitution, child abuse, abortion, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, PTSD, self-harm, SIDS/ infant death, weight gain, eating disorders (inc. bulimia), medical negligence … and probably more