Synopsis: The prison writings of Ferenc Visky, a Reformed minister who spent seven years in the Gherla prison after the 1956 Hungarian revolution. Review: “He who does not believe in miracles is not a realist.” The Foolishness of God is a slim volume packed with deep wisdom from a man who suffered more than most. [...]

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Synopsis: How a youthful drug addict turned his life around thanks to the 12 Steps. Review: As memoirs go, Addict at 10 is pretty standard. The child of divorced partiers, Derek Steele gets drunk for the when he’s just 8 years old, and by high school he’s selling ecstasy and cocaine. The second half of [...]

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Synopsis: Two college friends decide to circumnavigate the globe in 1986, starting in Communist China, unaware that one is on the brink of mental collapse. Review: I generally find memoirs to be self-indulgent, solipsistic, and narcissistic. Very rarely do the people with good stories also end up with the writing skills to engage the reader [...]

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Synopsis: How an exotic dancer left the profession and founded a ministry to help other women do the same. Review: Harmony Dust’s story as told in Scars and Stilettos is not without merit. The girl has been through a lot, from childhood sexual abuse to rape to poverty, all of which led her to a [...]

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Synopsis: The account of a missionary and linguist who has devoted his life to studying the language and culture of the Piraha in the Amazon, a people who have no numbers, colors, origin story, or perception of anything outside the immediate. Review: Don’t Sleep There Are Snakes is a fascinating first person account that looks [...]

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Synopsis: The true story of 39-year-old film critic who has a one-night stand that leaves her Knocked Up. Review: Accidentally on Purpose is heartwarming, honest, and achingly real. Mary F. Pols is a fantastic writer and she managed to avoid many of the pitfalls of the autobiography by just letting the story tell itself. I [...]

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Synopsis: An author’s memoir of the writing life. Review: Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having my work ripped to shreds at a workshop led by Bret Lott. I say “pleasure” because (a) he was right, and (b) he made it fun. I knew from reading Before We Get Started that I’d respect his opinion, [...]

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Synopsis: An autobiography of a promiscuous life. Review: The most striking thing about Kerry Cohen’s Loose Girl is the inevitability of her misbehavior. Cohen’s parents divorced when she was a preteen, and neither one seems able to practice any kind of responsible or involved parenting. Her dad is the kind of guy who asks for [...]

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Synopsis: A writer and journalist who never wanted kids finds herself spiraling into obsession when she begins to try to conceive. Review: Peggy Orenstein paints herself in such a bad light in Waiting for Daisy that it’s next to impossible to sympathize with her predicament. And that’s too bad, because three miscarriages are a lot [...]

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Synopsis: Told their unborn child has birth defects that will likely lead to stillbirth, a couple decide to see the pregnancy through to term. Review: I am a sucker for stories like those found in The Shaming of the Strong. When I was pregnant with Superfast Baby I thought a lot about what I would [...]

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