Valerie S. (VolunteerVal) -
"I thought I had to convince the whole world that I am more than the worst thing I have done, the worst person I have been, but really I just have to convince myself."
- Lara Love Hardin, The Many Lives of Mama Love
The subtitle of The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin perfectly summarizes it: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing. Ms. Hardin is a white upper middle-class woman who became addicted to drugs, stole from her neighbors to support her habit, served time in jail, struggled to meet the conflicting requirements of probation, and slowly reassembled her family and professional life one step at a time.
This was definitely a 'window' book; I have no first-hand experience with the American criminal justice system, and I don't have children so I couldn't fully relate to Ms. Hardin's pain of being separated from her sons, especially her youngest at age 4. At times, I was frustrated with her, her then-husband, fellow inmates, but especially 'the system.' I was surprised by how prevalent drugs were in jail and by the complete lack of coordination between the components of her post-release requirements. I read this while on a very relaxing vacation; the difference between my unscheduled days and Ms. Hardin's very restrictive life was a sharp contrast.
The writing is superb and compelling, which makes sense as the author's career began as a ghostwriter and she's now the founder and CEO of a literary agency. She carefully crafts the first and last sentence of every chapter, and I often read longer than I intended ... "just one more chapter." I admire her for overcoming her deep feelings of shame about her past to tell her story and hopefully inspire others, or serve as a cautionary tale.
Although Ms. Hardin invested tremendous effort and energy into reinventing her life and creating the happy and successful life she currently has, I would have appreciated her addressing the privileges she had throughout the process as a white, well educated person. Some powerful people came into her life at the right time. She worked very hard to maximize these opportunities, but I wonder if others would have been given the same chances as her.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the print review copy of this memoir.
- Lara Love Hardin, The Many Lives of Mama Love
The subtitle of The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin perfectly summarizes it: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing. Ms. Hardin is a white upper middle-class woman who became addicted to drugs, stole from her neighbors to support her habit, served time in jail, struggled to meet the conflicting requirements of probation, and slowly reassembled her family and professional life one step at a time.
This was definitely a 'window' book; I have no first-hand experience with the American criminal justice system, and I don't have children so I couldn't fully relate to Ms. Hardin's pain of being separated from her sons, especially her youngest at age 4. At times, I was frustrated with her, her then-husband, fellow inmates, but especially 'the system.' I was surprised by how prevalent drugs were in jail and by the complete lack of coordination between the components of her post-release requirements. I read this while on a very relaxing vacation; the difference between my unscheduled days and Ms. Hardin's very restrictive life was a sharp contrast.
The writing is superb and compelling, which makes sense as the author's career began as a ghostwriter and she's now the founder and CEO of a literary agency. She carefully crafts the first and last sentence of every chapter, and I often read longer than I intended ... "just one more chapter." I admire her for overcoming her deep feelings of shame about her past to tell her story and hopefully inspire others, or serve as a cautionary tale.
Although Ms. Hardin invested tremendous effort and energy into reinventing her life and creating the happy and successful life she currently has, I would have appreciated her addressing the privileges she had throughout the process as a white, well educated person. Some powerful people came into her life at the right time. She worked very hard to maximize these opportunities, but I wonder if others would have been given the same chances as her.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the print review copy of this memoir.
