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.
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More?
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