Missing: A Memoir

Title:
Missing: A Memoir

Author:
Lindsay Harrison


Memoir Express Version:
"During her sophomore year at Brown University, Lindsay received a phone call from her brother that her mother was missing. Lindsay and her siblings are extremely close to their mother and immediately sense something is amiss. Converging in their hometown in Massachusetts, they begin frantically searching. 

Missing is a page-turning account of the first forty days of the search for Lindsay’s mother, as it chronicles dealings with detectives, false sightings, wild hope, and deep despair. The balance of the story is a candid, emotional exploration of a daughter’s search for solace after tragedy." As summarized from her book jacket.

Why it moved me:
This is a gripping account of a family's drama from the point of view of the family's most vulnerable member. As Lindsay and her family track her mother’s actions on the day she goes missing, other pivotal family history is revealed. Lindsay's words make you feel as though you are with her on this emotional journey; you feel her feelings and share her grief. Her love for her mother is a focal point, but you also learn, in a way that didn’t seem obvious to Lindsay, that her mother was deeply, emotionally disturbed. Throughout their childhood, her mother tried to pin her children against their very well intentioned father, whom she divorced years prior. The most poignant part of the story was when Lindsay’s father picks her up at the hospital after a summer “incident”. It is here, that Lindsay finally realizes just how much her father truly loves her. This book is not only about coming to terms with tragedy, but about the beautiful relationship between a daughter and her father. 

Gasp!

After a nonstop forty-day search, Lindsay’s mother is found. If I reveal any more, I would have to sound off the spoiler alert. This "gasp" is rivaled with an incident she experiences while working at an overnight camp as a young adult.  

She is somebody:
Lindsay Harrison grew up in Massachusetts, and attended Brown University and Columbia School of the Arts. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.  This is her first book.


Want More?
www.lindsayharrison.com 

To Vegas and Back: a memoir

Title:

To Vegas and Back

Author: 

Suzanne R. Krauss

Memoir Express Version:

Suzanne seems like your average suburban mom – happy and involved in the community. No one would have ever guessed her past . . . a childhood filled with alcoholism, anti-Semitism, and abuse, set in the backdrop of Las Vegas's underworld and glamorous casinos.

Olivia is a mother who leaves her life as a Philadelphia housewife behind and moves to Las Vegas to follow her dream of being in show business. Among other setbacks, she encounters mobsters, casino owners and Ponzi schemers, but it is all worth it when her dream becomes a reality and she lands a lead in the famous Les Follies Bergere at the Tropicana. Things move along well for months until Olivia meets a man she decides to marry in just under three days. A man who nearly destroys her family over the course of six years.

Why it moved me: 

I cut and pasted the following reader's review from Amazon. As an author, I love the honesty and spontaneity of reader reviews posted on the internet:

“Please note I've begun writing this review at 3:31am on a Tuesday morning when I have to wake up for work in less than 3 hrs. And, I finished To Vegas and Back about 2 mins ago. I was supposed to stop reading hours earlier but I couldn't. That's the kind of story told here. It's infuriating and true and complicated and sad and, at times, funny. Like life. Like people. Like every meaningful relationship you've ever had. The author plants you firmly on the inside of a childhood growing up with a charismatic mom whose unusual career and desperate choices lead the family down a very dark path. Remarkably, sprinkled throughout this tale are glimpses of everyday life and lightness, past and present that remind you that you can survive the most challenging of circumstances and, possibly, even thrive. It's an especially impactful message because guiding you is an author with a real and likable voice who is very easy to root for. I highly recommend this book.”          

                                                                              

Gasp!

I have been told there are several. But this is my own story, so you'll have to read for yourself and let me know. 

She’s somebody:

Suzanne R. Krauss began her career as a film publicist for The Samuel Goldwyn Company in New York City. She then moved into magazine publishing for some of the largest brand names in the U.S., including YM and Cosmopolitan. She is currently a marketing consultant, supports Kids in Crisis and the NO MORE organization. Suzanne lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children, where she writes her blog Almost Famous Memoirs.

Want More?

www.suzannekrauss.com

Above All Things: The Journey of an Evangelical Christian Mother and Her Gay Daughter

Title: 

Above All Things: The Journey of an Evangelical Christian Mother and Her Gay Daughter

Author: 

Shari Johnson

Memoir Express Version:

Shari Johnson's world turned upside down the night her 37-year-old daughter called and told her that she was gay. She thought this just could not be possible. Her daughter had always been the hero-Air Force Academy graduate, second woman to fly the U-2 spy plane, captain for United Airlines - she cried, begged, pleaded with God to change her daughter, but he changed Shari instead.

Why it moved me:

An Amazon reviewer said, “She has balls as big as church bells.” I mean, isn’t that reason enough to pick up this book? Not only is this memoir beautifully written and authentic as it exposes the author’s lifelong belief systems, and devotion to her faith; there is a great deal of wit that makes this a must-read for families of all faiths. It’s not just for those struggling through Gay and Lesbian issues; it is for all readers who are open to hear the range of issues that prevent good intentioned people from reaching acceptance. Although this book depicts the hardships of a mother discovering that her daughter is gay and how she came to terms with it in her own life, it reaches out to all of us in a loving, often humorous fashion that shares how life is not just black and white. This is ultimately a book about a mother realizing that no matter what, she was still a human being like everyone else and had to learn not to judge, to critique, or to condemn. Shari thought she would have to "live with" her daughter's "choice" to be gay, but has came to the understanding that all she had to do was love her child unconditionally.                                                            

                                                                                                                

Gasp!

When Shari has a conversation with God and asks him to make her child “not gay anymore” and struggled with what she did wrong to “make her gay”, I was in stitches. I am sure the intention was not to be comical, but I simply found myself shocked that there are people who still react this way in our day and age. It was a real eye-opener.

She’s somebody: 

Shari Johnson’s story was written as a result of her struggle as an Evangelical Christian to come to terms with her daughter's homosexuality. Her desire is to help reconcile families torn apart over this issue. From her example, she hopes that readers will "have more sense than I did." Shari learned that grudging acceptance was not the same as embracing her daughter for who she is. After ending a long career as a dental hygienist, Shari Johnson is pursuing her dream as a book editor and writer.

Want more?

Shari's book

You Asked for Really Good Fiction: Here's my list

Readers asked me for my favorite fiction reads. These are fiction books I could not put down. They are not new releases, but they have etched a place in my memory. And that is the entire purpose of my blog, reporting on books that you may have missed:


Kafka by the Shore by Huruki Murikami

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison

My Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

Eleven Hours by Paulina Simmons


If you are ready to dive into a trilogy, these historial fiction books are incredible. Be forewarned: if you are traveling with family know that these are time-suckers. Once you start, you will have to shoo everyone away. Consider yourself warned.


The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simmons

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory