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This is a difficult book to review. I didn‘t “enjoy” it but I was compelled & invested in Ariel‘s story to see how it would play out. At a very young age Ariel‘s parents split up & Ariel is raised by her mother, a narcissistic woman with no parenting skills & clearly some type of mental illness. Ariel is raised by a revolving door of nannies, who love her but can not handle working/living with her mother. In unwavering prose, Ariel shares her 👇🏽

#InProgress #Unbelievable #ParentChildMemoir

Wow. Fabulous writing from Leve describing the bizarre relationship with her eccentric artistic mother as a child and as an adult. Her father moved to Bali when she was a child so her mom relied on young Ariel as if she were the adult. With the time separating her from her past, and a good therapist, she realizes that the inappropriate behavior on her mother‘s part remodeled her brain to cause brain trauma. It‘s fascinating while off-putting.

Realizing that I've only read one nonfiction book this year so far! It was a library book so can't post a pic of it. So opted for this memoir which I loved! A little creepy but beautifully written. Read it late last year. #RecentNonFictionRead #MarchIntoReading

Ariel Leve's memoir delves into her relationship with her abusive mother and the people and experiences that helped her eventually create her own life. Leve's writing is beautiful and brutally honest. You can't help but feel pain when she talks about her struggles with her mother. And you feel the sense of stability and peace when she talks about the stabilizing people in her life. It's a sigh of relief as you see the author claim her freedom. ⬇️

Ariel Leve's childhood and relationship with her mother is completely dysfunctional, so it's soothing when she switches to stories about her simple and peaceful existence with Mario, who doesn't need a living room. 😂

My morning listen. So far Ariel Leve's memoir switches between being disturbing and comforting and Martha Plimpton is an excellent narrator.

Wonderful memoir. Real, rich, smart, beautifully written. Don't miss this. I couldn't put it down.

"Likeable people don't warehouse acrimony and bitterness" What a powerful book!