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A review by jonetta
Goodbye, Sweet Girl: A Story of Domestic Violence and Survival by Kelly Sundberg
4.0
Kelly Sundberg is a survivor of domestic violence. I’m starting here because it wasn’t always clear to the author that she was experiencing domestic abuse.
Her story begins near the end and then reaches back into the past to provide context for her state of mind and how she came to be and stay in a violent relationship. Sundberg’s early life is much more complex than the simplistic lifestyle she describes. So much goes unsaid and broils underneath the surface within her family, network of friends, co-workers and, later, her in-laws. She’s yet another highly educated woman who you would think could not only recognize domestic abuse for what it was but also not tolerate it. But you must listen carefully as to how she eased into her situation and the complicity of so many others who were deaf to the subtleties of abuse.
I much admire Sundberg for sharing her story and hope it was cathartic as she gains so little in return for being this open. She holds nothing back, including her frailties and vulnerabilities. While it was sometimes difficult to follow the timeline, I appreciated that she told the story as her life’s puzzle occurred to and came together for her. And, she nor the narrator doesn’t over-dramatize the abusive moments, taking more care to share what she was thinking and feeling in those moments. Hers is an important and relevant story as I don’t believe she was ever a victim. She never gave up on herself. Andi Arndt narrated the story perfectly.
(I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)
Her story begins near the end and then reaches back into the past to provide context for her state of mind and how she came to be and stay in a violent relationship. Sundberg’s early life is much more complex than the simplistic lifestyle she describes. So much goes unsaid and broils underneath the surface within her family, network of friends, co-workers and, later, her in-laws. She’s yet another highly educated woman who you would think could not only recognize domestic abuse for what it was but also not tolerate it. But you must listen carefully as to how she eased into her situation and the complicity of so many others who were deaf to the subtleties of abuse.
I much admire Sundberg for sharing her story and hope it was cathartic as she gains so little in return for being this open. She holds nothing back, including her frailties and vulnerabilities. While it was sometimes difficult to follow the timeline, I appreciated that she told the story as her life’s puzzle occurred to and came together for her. And, she nor the narrator doesn’t over-dramatize the abusive moments, taking more care to share what she was thinking and feeling in those moments. Hers is an important and relevant story as I don’t believe she was ever a victim. She never gave up on herself. Andi Arndt narrated the story perfectly.
(I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)