I Don't Believe I Liked It

This story starts out telling us how a couple met and fell in love during the 1960s--a rising star attorney and a strong young woman not afraid to flaunt convention. So far, so good. From there, though, (spoiler: beware) somehow her character devolves into a bitter and hateful mother, wife, friend. There was absolutely nothing to like about her once we got to the elder years. The book is really about how she, her husband and their three children all find something to believe in, regardless of how improbable all of those events would have been. At the end, our protagonist (in a whiplash-inducing U-turn) found the grace to somehow be likeable again. Um hmm. I suppose there's consistency in that the whole story line was completely implausible. I did finish, but won't be seeking other books by this author.

Survival Against the Odds

Author Steve Pemberton was an unlucky kid. Landing in foster care at a very young age, his placement was, shall we say, not ideal. He naturally always wondered about his birth parents, and kept searching despite rumors and taunting about his lineage. I won't give away any more of what that poor kid went through, because you will want to read this riveting book. It's painful, though, so get ready. Through the acts of a few kind acquaintances and several boxes of donated books, he not only survived, but raised himself into the kind of person he wanted to be. A truly remarkable story of brilliance, grit, fortitude and grace, your heart will break and then explode with joy for this boy, and the man he ultimately became.

Heartbreaking

Author Natasha tells the riveting but horrifying story of her mom's abuse, and finally, murder at the hands of her second husband. The constant stress this mom and daughter suffered under his tyranny are well-portrayed, requiring me to read another book alongside this one so I could sleep at night. I can't imagine what it was like to actually live that nightmare. Part catharsis and part homage, you find yourself crying for this giving, articulate, brilliant woman and the life she could have lived, and the daughter who would have loved to share it with her.