Enlightening and well written memoir
349568
Courageous memoir about an innocent young girl taken advantage of by a trusted nun and Marilyn's long journey to find herself with professional help.  Beautifully written and captures the reader immediately.  I heartedly recommend this book.
3165809
This memoir is informative about the life of a fisherman's wife, and makes for an enlightening and moving reading experience.
544293
"Girl Without A Country" is an eloquently written personal account of a young teenager's struggle on her own to survive and persue her dreams in her home country, where she is not legally recognized as a citizen.
Once I began reading, I could not put the book down.  I was immediately drawn into the story by Rosemarie Schulga's richly descriptive narrative.  One can easily identify with Rosemarie, an amazingly observant and analytical girl who is trying to understand the world around her as she matures into a young woman.  This book exposes both the cruelty and dark side of human nature as well as its occasional generosity and selflessness.  One experiences the world through her naive perspective, sharing her struggle against poverty, discrimination, and her perpetual statelessness.
  I found her anecdotes and experiences to be sometimes amusing, sometimes sad, but always insightful and entertaining.  I enjoyed this memoir on so many levels--- from the rich descriptions and observations of different cultures, to the introspective evaluation of human nature, love, life, and the quest for freedom.
  Although I really enjoyed her first memoir, "In the Shadow of the Mill", this book is even better!  Definitely a must-read!
3850804
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  It is a memoir that encompasses a wide variety of experiences -- everything from childhood memories, to marriage, to fatherhood, and even comparative culture.  The author brings a  wonderfully inventive, sometimes touching, and often wry eye to his reflections.  I hope he will treat us to a second volume very soon.  R. Begle
3710772
Meredith Norton's memoir is unexpectedly funny about a very serious subject.  I found myself reading the novel,not wanting to put it down, eager to find out how she brings the story to an end.  The comparison to Sedaris is appropriate as Meredith maintains the humor throughout yet pauses at times to allow us to understand the severity of cancer she faced.  Memoirs are supposed to be self-reflections of personal experience, not self-help books that offer advice to others who may be suffering from the same disease; I disagree with the reviewer who suggests caution.  Meredith brings us into her world and experiences, so we understand her confusion, frustration, anger, and humor.  A great read from a woman who has a wonderful spirit and drive to survive against all odds.  And she can write.
4899189
Well written and lots of insights to glean on a personal level.
2015786
This wonderfully written memoir by the talented Susan Stockton is powerful and intriguing in many ways. This writing is a demonstration that life is truly about experiencing life and learning the things we were meant to learn through it all. Susan's story is astonishingly poignant and holds nothing back.  It is clearly written from the heart to share important information with the reader.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a deeper understanding of life, here and beyond.
1795319
Magda Zsubanski's memoir, The Reckoning, was a well written, brave and intelligent book filled with humour and insight into the human condition; the brutality of war, and the complex difficulties and situations that face the undeclared gay or lesbian in their struggle for true recognition. I enjoyed every minute of reading it.
4043804
This is a touching and beautifully written memoir. Before receiving it as a gift, I hadnt read Andies blog, and I had no prior interest in her or the issues she writes about. I decided to read it on a whim, and, within the first five pages, she had drawn me in.
The book opens on Andies working class childhood in Massachusetts. Andie doesn't whitewash anything; she lays it all on the table, sweet nostalgia and family disorder alike. The narrative is sad, at times heart-wrenching, and, though her love for her father comes through her descriptions of his alcoholism and temper, her admiration of her mother, who worked two to four jobs her entire life to keep the family afloat, is even stronger.

Thankfully, Andie backs her moving narrative with carefully crafted prose. It was a true pleasure to read, and, if you're a fan of her blog, the quality of her writing will come as no surprise. Her book meets the standard that all memoirs strive for: I was always eager to read more about Andies life, even without any prior interest in her story. Im so glad I set aside the time to read this book and that it led me to Andies equally wonderful blog.
1699944
Written clearly and objectively, this is both memoir and travelogue.  The editing has placed his own family's tragic history in China and his youthful trans Eurasian adventures in context with his Peace Corps experience.  Readers might expect more personal insights from a retired psychotherapist, but the experiences themselves need no further enhancements.  His passions for music performances and fine arts of all kinds carry the readers through countries and continents. It was a treat to discover the photographs on the author's website.  They verify that author Siddal was as competent a photographer as he was teacher and informed traveler.  This Peace Corps volunteer brought a lifetime of wisdom to other volunteers in his training, shared his enthusiasm for languages with both adolescent students and adult friends and luckily, for readers.
4808540
A fascinating autobiographic memoir of a meaningful life well lived.  From the life of a teenager with no less a person than John von Neumann, a true intellectual genius mathematician, to her own trail-blazing life as one of the first women to break through the "Glass ceiling" of the male-dominated Board Rooms and executive suites of the Fortune 500, and a stint as a member of the Presidents Council of Economic Advisors, Ms. Whitman gives us a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the seats of power.  amazingly, amidst all this activitiy she was able to live a "normal" family life with a supportive husband and a couple of (not surprisingly) talented children.  I was drawn in early and found it a compelling read.
2317961
I was moved by this memoir, even though I didn't grow up in Brooklyn. I was impressed by the insight and honest writing about the same era in which I grew up. Most of all, I loved the way the author portrays herself and her family in such a truthful light, even down to her relationship with her mother. Since I grew up in an Italian-American family, as well, I could relate to much of her life. I also loved the references to the wonderful, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, to give an even deeper meaning to her story.

I wanted to reach out to the author I met at a book talk in October.
1221860
Nina Chur has written a charming and insightful memoir of her life. With tenderness and thoughtfulness, she shares her perspective on life experiences, cultural differences and and religion. She shares stories of her upbringing which was filled with difficult relationships with her parents, tender moments with her grandmother and favorite family friend and her classmates. Her voice is authentic and charming and captures her true thoughtful self. I have enjoyed reading her lovely life story and marvel at her resilience. I recommend My Sincere Sharings for anyone who loves to learn about others.
1995882
Riveting and well written account of a blossoming soul.
1024665
Julie Metz was experiencing what she thought was a reasonably happy marriage when her mid-40s husband suddenly died of a pulmonary embolism.  Metz had a young daughter to take care of and much grief to work through.  After a few months, she discovers that he had been cheating on her with a number of women, including one of their "friends" from their small suburban New York town.  Metz was devastated, devastated and angry.  She confronts this "friend" as well as the other women he was involved with.  Perfection is a compelling memoir, in part because Metz is able to clearly channel in her writing the emotions she was experiencing during the periods she writes about.  The grief, the anger, the acceptance is all there for the reader, some of it brutally raw and emotional.  At times I found her anger disconcerting, but the resolution of her memoir shows great maturity on Metz's part.  I enjoyed this memoir and found it to be a compelling page turner.  Metz explores not only her relationship with her husband, but also her female friends and former lovers.  She forays out into the world of dating.  A word of warning however:  this memoir is clearly for adult readers only. Nothing is sugar-coated here.  Younger readers, and frankly some mature readers as well, would likely be shocked by certain of the frank sexual discussions, as well as, perhaps, the intense anger Metz experiences.
3825420
I read Amy's memoir with deepening apperception and awe of the wisdom that she drew from her experiences as a woman, mother, and chaplain.  Her writing is beautiful and lyrically reflective, encouraging the reader to join her in drawing deeper meaning and insights from our life journeys.  She helps us see the interconnectedness of of all people despite the differences in our politics, nationalities, and religions.

I suspect that, like Maya Angelou, this is her first memoir of many, and I am eager to read her reflections on the next chapter of her remarkable life.
2036912
This book is a quick read, but, provides so much insight to the struggles that people are facing every day. Its very enlightening to understand what life and love looks like to a woman realizing that a traditional life isn't for her. While reading this memoir you can feel the same confusion and pain that one feels while navigating relationships. With that same token you feel all the joy and humor that life throws at you along the way. The setting of the book is also wonderful. I love biking and I have lived in the mountains of western North Carolina my whole life, so it was easy for me to be transported into the various locals portrayed in the book.