Memoir / Autobiography
Hear the Whistle: The Story of Jack Haley, American Entrepreneur and Railroad Pioneer
by Kathy Haley BuhrmanRating: 8.00
Idea: Buhrman starts with an homage dedicated to her late father, and ends up with a thrilling story about a man who was driven to fulfill his dreams, no matter how far-fetched they may seem. As fascinating as it is educational, Hear the Whistle is an interesting foray into the life of a man who loved trains, planes, and shooting for the moon.
Prose: Generally, the prose is easy to understand and vivid. Technical passages--particularly those relating to trains--provide texture and verisimilitude.
Originality: The subject behind this work led a fascinating and unusual life. Readers will welcome the details about Jack Haley's life and his uncommon aspirations.
Character/Execution: Buhrman writes with a loving touch and shows a knack for establishing settings, developing characters, and crafting dialogue.
Idea: Lost in the Reflecting Pool offers excellent pacing, and strong storytelling elements. The reader is drawn in wanting to know how Pomerantz’s partner changes from “almost perfect” to the story’s villain.
Prose: The author’s authentic storytelling invites the reader in, offering a fine balance of descriptors of scenery and fast paced events.
Originality: Lost in the Reflecting Pool is a story that many women have lived, but is full of unique experiences, descriptions, and believable suspense.
Character/Execution: The voices of the narrator, as well as her family members and friends introduced in her story, are well defined and easy to understand. The paragraph structure would benefit from a degree of additional editing to allow for greater storytelling flow.
Plot/Idea: Thirty years after her son Matt's death at the age of eight, Wierman finds the courage and the words to chronicle his battle with a rare form of leukemia. Throughout the battle, up to and beyond the very end, Matt and his surviving family are sustained by their immense faith in God.
Prose: With grace, dignity, and immense faith, Wierman relives the journey she and her family trod with their beloved Matt. Unsparingly, she sets forth the agony of watching her son's suffering, the ecstatic leaps of hope when the cancer briefly went into remission, the poignant gratitude for the kindness of family, friends, and strangers who helped them in ways too numerous to tell, and the steadfast faith that ultimately helped her transcend the grief of losing her only son.
Originality: Few, indeed, are those who could undergo the agony of losing a child to a protracted battle with cancer and come through with their faith in God strengthened, rather than diminished. This is the story of a family remarkable for its acceptance and unshakable belief, not least of all Matt himself.
Character Development/Execution: Wierman's purpose in writing a memoir almost as short and as brave as the life of its subject, her son Matt, was to make sure he would never be forgotten, and to bear witness to her faith that God never for a moment forgot Matt and his family. She has succeeded on both counts.
Plot/Idea: What if a father wished aloud that he could have cancer in his ailing son's place. . .and it happened? In Cotton Teeth, Glenn Rockowitz describes the agonizing year when he fought for his own life while struggling to sustain his father as they both battled cancer.
Prose: Glenn Rockowitz spares his readers nothing; Cotton Teeth vividly brings the physical, spiritual and emotional rollercoaster suffered by his father and himself to life on the page. The prose is gritty and haunting.
Originality: To undergo a battle for one's own life while trying to support a parent who is simultaneously going through the same illness is a situation that, thankfully, not many will find themselves in. Interwoven with the struggle of father and son to survive are the author's harrowing flashbacks of being molested at summer camp at a young age.
Character Development/Execution: Sometimes heroism is simply the act of survival. Rockowitz has fought hard to survive - not only cancer, but childhood sexual abuse - and the result is a harrowing memoir that will stay with its readers long past the final page.
Plot/Idea: Austin has provided the reader with a deep look into her tumultuous life, filled with love affairs, difficulties at work, and prejudice, along with lots of self-growth and triumph. She also takes the time to humbly reflect upon her choices, analyzing them at the end of each chapter, along with providing relevant scripture and a prayer for those in similar situations. The book reads a bit like a romance novel, with a large focus on relationships and sex, which may fit a niche market combined with the scriptural focus.
Prose: Austin is a born storyteller, as her stories are full of drama and intrigue. Though sometimes sentences can lack variety, the story flows well, and the timelines make sense.
Originality: From the provocative title and metaphors that continue throughout the book relating to vomit, to the wild stories of Austin's life, this book is definitely unique. For those who want to read a fascinating story about a woman who never gives up, despite facing all kinds of challenges, this is the book for them.
Character Development/Execution: Austin's character is well-developed, and the reader can easily sympathize with her. The rest of the cast is more supportive in nature and serve to move the storyline forward.
Plot/Idea: Australian Women Can Walk is a smart memoir about one woman's formative college gap year travels in 1979. Traveling with art school friends, author Aldous crosses Asia, hanging out on houseboats, backpacking, and learning about life along the way.
Prose: Aldous's prose is simple and straightforward, yet self-assured. While her lines are sometimes awkwardly written and the text has a few tense issues, overall the writing is strong and appealing.
Originality: While there are similar memoirs about traveling in other countries, Aldous's discussion of politics, like the impact of partition and the way she connects her reading with her experience, sets this book apart. The diary format also enhances the original quality of the work.
Character Development/Execution: Author Veronica Caven Aldous has a wonderful eye for sense and place descriptions across the execution of the text. The memoir's short sections lend themselves well to the slice-of-life style of Aldous's journey, and the photographs also enhance the story well.
Blurb: A wonderfully executed memoir about a young woman's travels and adventures in Asia as a 22-year-old art student, Australian Women Can Walk nails the experience of youthful discovery on the page.
Safe, Wanted, and Loved: A Family Memoir of Mental Illness, Heartbreak, and Hope
by Patrick DylanRating: 7.75
Idea: Dylan builds the narrative of his wife's struggle with mental health to encompass family, friends, and strangers as well as the society that continues to place a stigma around mental health.
Prose/Style: Palpable in Dylan's writing are the feelings of confusion, despair, love, and hope as he goes back and forth in time to show life before and after he notices a change in Mia.
Originality: In the vast world of literature that deals with mental health struggles, Dylan carves out a space for himself, his wife, and his family to reflect upon their journey in a meaningful way.
Character Development/Execution: Dylan includes a broad array of medical professionals, family members, and friends in the narrative. While these characters aren't always given the space they may deserve, Dylan's attempts to share their perspectives is a noble effort.
Blurb: With a tremendous amount of care, Dylan shares his experience as a husband and father in a family that must navigate the complex world of mental health. A moving and informative memoir, Safe, Wanted, and Loved reminds readers of the challenges faced by those struggling with their mental health and the stigma placed on that struggle.
Blurb: With a tremendous amount of care, Dylan shares his experience as a husband and father in a family that must navigate the complex world of mental health. A moving and informative memoir, Safe, Wanted, and Loved reminds readers of the challenges faced by those struggling with their mental health and the stigma placed on that struggle.
Idea: Holding Fast is a memoir of an unconventional life spent sailing. Readers who aspire to similarly upend their circumstances in favor of a more nomadic lifestyle will welcome Cole's honest reflections.
Prose: The writing here is smooth and capably holds the reader's interest throughout.
Originality: Although memoirs of risk-taking adventures are familiar, Cole's story is deeply personal, detailed, and frequently inspiring.
Character/Execution: Both Cole and her husband, John, emerge as fully formed individuals on the page. The strength of their relationship is a particularly endearing element of the story.
Civil Rights Baby: My Story of Race, Sports, and Breaking Barriers in American Journalism
by Nita WigginsRating: 7.50
Plot/Idea: Wiggins is explicit in her text, with a distinct idea that carries through the entirety of her work. She delineates evidence to support her main concepts and readers will quickly grasp the weight of her themes.
Prose: Wiggins writes in an articulate and professional style, although she balances this with areas where she connects directly with her readers in a more lighthearted manner. Her prose elevates the text, adding significance and gravity in all the right places.
Originality: Civil Rights Baby offers fresh perspectives on a common, but weighty, memoir theme – which intensifies the individuality of this work and will be striking for readers.
Character Development/Execution: Wiggins develops her text in a linear fashion that will satisfy her audience while provoking reflection at the same time. She offers an intriguing start that sets the stage for a challenging and often painful personal journey.
Plot/Idea: This memoir tackles the heartbreaking traumas of childhood sexual abuse and the process of healing from them, and does so with honesty and awareness. The flaws here are all structural, with a timeline and pacing that would benefit from being strengthened.
Prose: The prose is accessible and compelling, but requires clarity to really let the story and ideas shine through. It should also have a more organized timeline of events so readers can easily follow the events of Sandomir’s life.
Originality: This memoir is original in that the author is so open to discuss difficult moments in her life, and to advocate on behalf of victims of abuse.
Character Development/Execution: Sandomir's book is overall successful in the way it is a deeply personal account of the author’s life, but it is also an inspiring story of overcoming adversity and rising above one’s circumstances.
Plot/Idea: A gonzo romp through the London outsider music scene, this book blends personal narrative with an exploration of a lesser-known artistic subculture.
Prose: The book is a sprawling ramble through a music community, written with a frenetic energy to match its subject matter.
Originality: This book is unique, depicting through a personal lens a niche artistic community not widely known outside its own enclave.
Character Development/Execution: The book is long, and readers not already familiar with the bands, venues, and lifestyle depicted may have trouble keeping up. Those that do will discover a rewarding experience with interesting, well-defined characters, and charming narration.
Plot/Idea: Weldon's memoir tells a compelling story of not just picking up the pieces of a broken life, but building something new and fresh that will keep readers turning the pages.
Prose: Weldon's prose makes for an easy and enjoyable read, but would benefit from additional polishing to allow the voice to reach its full potential.
Originality: Weldon's journey stands out in the memoir genre by telling the story of a life-changing 30 days rather than a years-long undertaking, which is likely to inspire readers to be able to take on their own manageable challenges.
Character Development/Execution: Weldon's humor and vulnerability make her someone readers want to root for and allow her to feel like a treasured friend.
Plot/Idea: Lam's vulnerability and nuanced emotional states allow readers to truly connect to her profound and intimate story.
Prose: The writing style here is digestible and engaging, with the connection to the tarot deck only occasionally obfuscating the plot.
Originality: Lam's memoir uniquely blends an exploration of love, relationships, mental health, with the more mystical and magical original elements.
Character Development/Execution: The writer successfully explores the complexities of the characters for her readers in this intriguing memoir.
Plot/Idea: The author has endured a series of life-changing events, but it's clear that she still fought hard to come out on top and ultimately became a successful entrepreneur. Those looking for inspiration and motivation will find this story beneficial, as the author embarks upon her quest for success.
Prose: Well-paced and organized, the story is easy to follow with its casual tone. Well-structured and organized, the author covers a lot of ground in just a few chapters of this text.
Originality: Some entrepreneurs have a straight path to their success story; this author endured larger battles before finding the strength to fight her way to her success. Her growth as a person is evident throughout the story.
Character Development/Execution: Inspiring and well-written, the author tells her success story in three parts: growing up, early adulthood while childbearing, and her business story. The first two sections read like a memoir with plenty of ups and downs, while the last part is more about getting the business off the ground and the trials encountered along the way.
Plot/Idea: Grotticelli delivers a moving account of a tumultuous childhood spent between a violent family, orphanage, and unloving foster care, and the powerful bonds formed between found siblings.
Prose: The author's language is plainspoken and vivid, with a clear and immediate prose style that will particularly appeal to readers who have similarly struggled to find security and family connection amidst upheaval and uncertainty.
Originality: This story successfully explores the nuances of an atypical story of an unhappy childhood.
Character Development/Execution: The author's often painful memoir is well-told, though the work may benefit from broader variety in terms of tone.
Plot/Idea: Born into a privileged yet dysfunctional family, Caitlin Elizabeth searches the world for a sense of purpose and a meaningful life. Everything In Between is the story both of her travels and of her journey into spiritual evolution.
Prose: The author's style is breezy, confidential and discursive. Many readers will undoubtedly identify with her struggle to live a more authentic life than the one of mere privilege and consumerism too often encouraged by upper middle class American society.
Originality: If Jay McInerney's Alison Poole sprouted a conscience and a sense of social awareness, the sequel to Story of My Life might read like Everything In Between. The author's geographic migrations and her reflections on her experiences make for an interesting read.
Character Development/Execution: Faced with the inequities and injustices that permeate the world, Caitlyn Elizabeth decides to take matters into her own hands and go off in search of self and opportunities to do meaningful service. Her sincerity and her commitment to the quest are embodied in the pages of this memoir.
