Tag Archives: Autobiography

I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can by Barbara Gordon

Synopsis: The classic autobiography of a TV producer recovering from a Valium addiction. Review: I read I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can because it was only 99 cents for Kindle. It has not aged well at all but I couldn’t put it down. It’s so dated but I found her earnestness kind of refreshing. However, the therapy she got was pretty horrifying, especially all the doctors who justified and even defended the behavior of her abusive boyfriend. I never quite understood exactly what was…

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Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman

Synopsis: A young woman grows up in the extremely conservative Satmar group of Hasidic Jews, and the failure of her arranged marriage leads her to yearn for freedom. Review: I was very impressed by Deborah Feldman when I heard her on the Leonard Lopate show, and I was inspired to read her memoir Unorthodox. I am fascinated by strict religious groups, particularly when their practices elevate men and demean women. I loved Deborah’s honesty and insight into the way her identity was shaped by her…

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Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton

Synopsis: A memoir by the chef-owner of Prune in New York City’s East Village. Review: I loved Blood, Bones, and Butter, and not just because I have eaten at Prune. Gabrielle Hamilton’s memoir is more than just a restaurant tale–it’s an eyewitness account of the gentrification of both New York City, and of a street smart, fearless woman with a work ethic you just won’t believe. My favorite section of the book was an extended musing on what it means to be a “woman chef.”…

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Sheepish by Catherine Friend

Synopsis: Subtitled: “Two Women, Fifty Sheep, and Enough Wool to Save the Planet.” Review: Sheepish is simply adorable, a sweet memoir that will delight and please anyone who loves knitting, women, candor, humor, and sheep. There’s even a meditation on the environmental pros and cons of wool vs. artificial fibers. My only wish is that it came with patterns and pictures, but maybe someday she’ll feature some on her website.

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The Foolishness of God by Ferenc Visky

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. Joy beams from every page, a hard-won thanksgiving for a God who justifies and sanctifies through mysterious ways. I love the irony that Ferenc Visky employs in showing how foolish…

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Addict at 10 by Derek Steele

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 the book details his recovery and sober life as a family man and successful business owner. If you like this template, then you’ll probably want to check this one out.…

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Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman

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 beyond the titillating details that sold the book proposal and turn their personal story into something that has actual resonance, meaning and importance. Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven…

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Scars and Stilettos by Harmony Dust

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 soul-crushing career as an exotic dancer. I just wish that the writing had been a little stronger. Nevertheless, this is a powerful story and I hope it helps a lot…

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Don’t Sleep There Are Snakes by Daniel L. Everett

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 at a culture that is so utterly alien to our own that it’s hard to believe we could ever have anything in common with them. The Piraha people live in…

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Accidentally on Purpose by Mary F. Pols

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 was most interested in her relationship with Matt, her 29-year-old unemployed, directionless baby daddy. In many ways she tried to parent him, too, only to have to let go and…

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