Kelle Groom is the author of 3 poetry collections in addition to this memoir. Five Kingdoms released in 2010,Luckily (2006) and Underwater City 2004. but before reaching sucess in the literary world shehad alot of personal demons to fight and conquer first. In the memoir we go back to 1982 when the author
is a a pregnant teenager living with her parents. She is unable to raise the child in spite of the support she
received from her mother who was a teacher at the time and her father who was in the military. So she will make what will turn out to be a one of the most difficult decisions in her life by giving her son, Tommy up for adoption to her aunt and uncle. Fourteen months later she loses him again to cancer. It's here that we witness
the not so slow fall into alcoholism as her means of coping with the loss.Even though the author did foreshadow her recovery I have never wanted to see someone recover so badly! The benefit to reading a memoir written by a poet is their skillful use of imagery. I felt like I was there with her every step of the way. It's usually the use of metaphors, etc.. that sets this apart from celebrity memoirs. The only drawback is the creative license the author sometimes uses that makes it a little incoherent from time to time but still a pretty good read I am giving it 4 stars out of 5.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I would like to thank Free Press(Simon and Schuster) for allowing me the opportunity to review this book, which I don't receive money to do and yes I am a Amazon Associate.
