Reviewed By Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers' Favorite

Barbara Hoffbeck Scoblic's Lost Without the River: A Memoir is about growing up on the family farmstead in South Dakota, and of the strong and continuing influence of those years and the farm itself long after she leaves home. In 1926 her parents, Roy and Myrtle Hoffbeck, moved to the farmstead in the Big Stone City area. The Whetstone River runs right through the farm. Scoblic, the youngest of the seven Hoffbeck children, writes of life on the farm from the 1930s to the 1960s. The chapter titles reflect everyday life, farming, weather, floods, the Great Depression and the Great Drought. The stories are about family love, personal courage, resilience, and a love for nature. The farm was sold in the 1970s. After her parents passed away, she and her siblings continued to visit the Big Stone City area.

I found Barbara Hoffbeck Scoblic's memoir absorbing and fascinating. I loved the sketches and vivid descriptions of the farmland, the Whetstone River with its Big Rock, and its bridges; the gentle hills and prairies with wildflowers. The river was a place for swimming, fishing, and solitude. It also posed a grave danger in times of floods. I loved the delightful titles Scoblic gives to two floods that she recalls: "The Year the Chicken Coop Floated Down the River" and "The Year the Bridge Went Out". I loved the contemplative and thoughtful nature of her poems about family and farm, the passage of time, of love and loss: "Dirt" and "Dirt Revisited", "Mourning Dove" and "Lost". I admired the courage and strength with which she writes of her sister Dorothy, of her conflicts with her dad, of doubts about being a farmer, and finding her place in life.

Reviewed By Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

A Year Under Sharia Law: Memoir of an American Couple Living and Working in Saudi Arabia by Alex and Elizabeth Fletcher is a memoir that documents the life of a couple as they navigate the challenging, somewhat dangerous landscape of Saudi Arabia under Sharia law. Alex studied and graduated with majors in marketing and English, and after working for an online casino, nothing could get better. Employment in Michigan was soaring and depression, the kind that can’t be cured by therapy or medication, got a strong hold on Alex. They needed to pay off their student loans and their home, and the only thing to do was what many would consider a crazy idea — go to Saudi Arabia to teach English.

In this memoir, the authors offer telling revelations of the nature of Sharia law, about a society torn between the idiosyncrasies of religious practices and the exigencies of contemporary technological advancement. The reader is introduced to the day-to-day life of the authors, their experience of culture shock as they witness blatant human rights abuses that go unchecked and a lot more. They learn about the abuses that foreigners, especially women who come into the country, suffer under their employers who take their passports and make them work as nannies, often experiencing unspeakable crimes. From the preface, the reader understands that “While the church and state in Saudi have been intertwined for many centuries, the unique culture of the country has added its own idiosyncrasies.” Alex and Elizabeth Fletcher open the eyes of readers to these idiosyncrasies. A Year Under Sharia Law: Memoir of an American Couple Living and Working in Saudi Arabia is a powerful memoir with strong cultural commentaries, the story of a decision that came with huge consequences.

Reviewed By Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

A Tortuous Path: Atonement and Reinvention in a Broken System by Christopher E Pelloski is a memoir that will fill every fiber in the reader with emotion. The memoir begins with the sentencing of the protagonist: “The sentence for accession with an attempt to view child pornography (which I pleaded guilty) was handed down on July 11, 2014. (...) The manner in which most of the local news entities handled the sentencing hearing was predictable.” The author takes readers on his journey from incarceration through house arrest to rebuilding his life, featuring heartbreaking experiences and in a tone that at times can be sarcastic, humorous, or filled with pathos. He navigates imprisonment, divorce, medical board hearings, polygraph interrogations, and court-mandated therapy. As you read through this memoir, you find yourself constantly asking the question: What happened to the system?

This is a story that puts the American justice system on trial and explores the flaws and injustices committed in the name of the law. The memoir is filled with pathos, with scenes captured in a style filled with clarity and poignancy. Christopher E Pelloski’s writing is gripping, eloquent, and in a voice that arrests the reader from the first sentence. He writes with unusual honesty and allows readers to peer into the areas of his life where he feels most vulnerable. In A Tortuous Path: Atonement and Reinvention in a Broken System, the author unveils the real image of the American justice system and allows readers to experience some of the painful encounters the author had. It is both informative and filled with disturbing revelations. A must-read!

Reviewed By Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite

Memoirs rarely have the ability to make you root for an author and his friends as vigorously and vehemently as the succinctly and appropriately titled Tenacity by Ron Coury. If the reader were to share the author’s military background, instrumental (as attested to by Mr. Coury) in establishing his fundamental integrity and character while still a young man, he would probably just shout “Oorah!” in a declaratory final judgment of this book’s intensely satisfying outcome. We are talking here about good and bad at work in old Las Vegas, the one emerging from the decadence of its rather depraved history, where political corruption and cronyism still lingered and survived, deeply threatening the conscientious efforts of those inclined to honesty and ethics, and where one character trait alone served best to deal effectively with all such potentially lethal aggravations.

Tenacity is the trait, and Ron Coury possesses it in spades. That is what makes his retelling of the Vegas story – rich in its long and infamous tradition of greedy bad guys doing wrong – worthy of a Jimmy Stewart movie where the bad guys pick precisely the wrong man (and his friends) to threaten and harass. Mr. Coury tells his real-life tale with intensely credible authority, leaving no doubt about his own immersion in a time and place where Opportunity ruled (literally), and where some good guys, needing only big white hats to make the picture perfect, ultimately prevailed. A western story for a western town. Tenacity may be categorized as a memoir, but it reads like bad-guy fiction, or like the antidote to Down and Out in Las Vegas. Perhaps Coury could have called his book Up and In in Las Vegas. But Tenacity says it so much better.

Reviewed By Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Educator Sexual Abuse by Andrea Clemens is a compelling memoir that brilliantly tells the story of educator sexual abuse, a story that is as emotional as it is enlightening, but one of hope, courage, and a woman’s resolve to protect the lives of innocent children caught in the hands of merciless predators. In this memoir, Andrea describes the abuse she suffered from her middle school teacher. She gives insights into her childhood, takes the reader on the painful journey from the moment she met the teacher to how the teacher groomed her for his insidious and heinous crime, to how she utterly developed trust in the teacher and through to the ultimate ordeal and painful betrayal. It took her a lot of courage after years of abuse and manipulation to break away from her abuser. The entire story is in this book and there is more than the story — there is a whole exposé on how such abuses happen and why most victims never find the courage to speak out.

Andrea Clemens’ book is a wonderful gift to parents, teachers, and children. Apart from telling the story of the author, it explores the psychology of an educator abuser and unveils the symptoms that administrators, students, parents, and society should watch for. Each chapter ends with questions that will help anyone understand if something is wrong with an educator-student relationship. The author offers insights and wisdom that help readers understand why millions of children abused by their teachers remain silent, the part the school system plays, and the levels of trauma the victim goes through. In the introduction she defines her subject: “When I refer to educator sexual abuse, I am referring to the alarmingly inappropriate actions of school employees who abuse their positions of power and manipulate children for their own pleasure and other selfish, misguided reasons.”

Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Educator Sexual Abuse is poignant, flawlessly written, and at times raw. I salute Andrea’s courage and her pioneering work in educating society on the subtle, yet very dangerous and damaging nature of educator abuse. It’s a book that every parent should read and discuss with their children while they are in school.

Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

The Reluctant Hotelkeeper by John Searancke is an engaging memoir that takes readers into the life of the author who ended up reluctantly being a hotelkeeper, and how his rescue mission ended up being a love affair with an old building. His parents had bought the place in the countryside to save their crumbling marriage, and the author was pulled into this venture when he was just 22. The role of a hotelkeeper is not as easy as many think because the reality of life in a hotel is very different, and the hours required to make it a success are punishing. The memoir is also a tribute to all the people who worked behind the scenes and helped in making this grand transformation a huge success.

The memoir is straightforward and honest, entertaining and insightful, and the author opens up about the difficulties he faced, and how he managed to keep his faith in long-term planning. There are a lot of interesting stories about eccentric guests, how many guests who checked in should not have been seen together at all, and how it ended up being one of the favored stops for a number of celebrities. The author goes through the entire process, speaking about transforming the hotel methodically and in detail, taking readers along with him and his experiences while getting the old building renovated to cater to the needs of a modern traveler. There is not one boring moment in this memoir and the positive narration and outlook make this memoir an encouraging and motivating read. The author's story and experiences are enriching, and the ups and downs of his life and the accolades he received for the hotel and its restaurant will encourage many readers out there to become hotelkeepers.

Reviewed By Jessyca Garcia for Readers' Favorite

Boot Language: A Memoir by Vanya Erickson left me feeling sad. In this memoir, Erickson tells about her childhood. She grew up with an alcoholic father, who seemed to hate her, and a mother who refused to seek medical help for her children due to her religion. It was not an easy life but somehow Erickson got through it. Boot Language is the type of book that makes you look at your own childhood and appreciate what you had. Erickson's story left me feeling unsatisfied. I felt that she too was unsatisfied with how her relationship with her father ended.

My heart hurt for her at how she was treated by her father. I wondered if he treated her badly because somehow she was not his biological daughter. I even thought that her mother would reveal some dark secret during the car ride that they took together. There had to be some reason that she was treated so differently from her siblings. I started off by liking Erickson's mom, but lost all respect for her when she did not handle the stranger touching Erickson improperly. My feelings for her lessened even more with how she treated her children after moving back to the city.

My favorite part of the story was when Erickson finally was able to stand up for herself. I was so proud of her. Overall, I liked this story, even though it left me feeling sad. I am glad that Erickson has had some happiness in her life and was able to have a special bond with horses. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Reviewed By Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Freckled: A Memoir of Growing up Wild in Hawaii by TW Neal is a mesmerizing memoir that takes readers on a somewhat hilarious ride through the life of the author raised by hippie surfer parents. Born in 1965, Toby quickly discovers that her hippie parents are more attracted to the waves along the shores of Kauai, Hawaii than settling down and building something stable. Toby’s parents struggle with mental problems and addiction, living from tent to tent, and occasionally returning to Kauai. The narrative is filled with adventure, with beautiful moments, like when Toby catches an octopus with her bare hands. While there are exciting moments in the narrative, she craves a normal life, but can she find a place in conventional society?

Filled with grit, an enduring sense of resilience, and humanity, this narrative explores the limits of human freedom in a unique childhood set against a fascinating landscape. The author captures beautiful images of the setting right from the start, allowing readers to see the world from the eyes of the child she once was. “Sand. Big yellow mountains of sand. So much, and a long way, a giant tabby cat napping in the sun. Mom's holding my hand and I'm naked because we're going swimming...” The writing is atmospheric, laced with insightful commentaries that capture the spirit of the time. The voice has something intriguing about it, a mixture of knowing and naivety that reflects childhood. Freckled: A Memoir of Growing up Wild in Hawaii is a memoir that reads like fiction; the occasional moments of humor combine with the focused writing and the emotional strength of the narrative to make for a great reading experience.

Reviewed By Ankita Shukla for Readers' Favorite

Where do I even begin after walking down such a beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring, terrifying, and hopeful Memory Lane with the author? I would like to try to jot down all the thoughts that crossed my mind and heart while reading this amazing memoir. In While They're Still Here: A Memoir, the author, Patricia Williams, writes about the time when her parents needed her more than ever and they had to be brought to live closer to her. Their deteriorating medical conditions necessitated that Trish, as they lovingly called the author, take them under her wing. She had anticipated that this transition was not going to be a smooth one, and her game plan included the family's tried and tested weapon: don't ask, don't tell. However, this weapon was put to the test multiple times when she had to decide whether this weapon would be the best one at the moment. As her parents' medical issues began surfacing, she struggled to keep up with the information. Her to-do list kept piling up and every now and then she questioned her abilities and strength.

The memoir is extremely honest and its authenticity is evident in every single line of every chapter. Although she described how her mother's unpredictable mood swings made her walk on eggshells around her, Ms. Williams remained respectful of her mother's memories throughout the book. The author has defined the characteristics of her parents in a very elegant manner. When the author mentioned that her mother was a Gemini, I, being a Gemini myself, instantly managed to relate to her. I could understand the faraway look that her mother had in her eyes, her excitement as the holiday season approached, her attachment to many memories, and her mood swings. I empathized with Ms. Williams because I know how difficult a Gemini can become when feeling low. Her mention of the zodiac sign definitely helped me understand her situation and her mother's helplessness in a much better light. I believe readers who have even the slightest knowledge of zodiac signs would appreciate the inclusion of this information. Her description of her father did not come in terms of any zodiac signs, but by the numerous stories that he shared. Being a man who fixed everything himself, he did not take the loss of good vision very well. However, what touched me the most were the clever and heartfelt ways in which Ms. Williams made him feel needed.

While They're Still Here: A Memoir is more than just a book. It is a mirror that will encourage you to cherish your parents while they are still here. Although taking care of anybody in their old age seems like a cumbersome task, it is undoubtedly the most rewarding experience. And when the people in question are your parents, then you must try your best to be at their side. Ms. Williams' parents did not ask her for things; instead, they dropped hints. If she wanted to, she could have easily ignored their subtle little signs, but she chose to do the honorable thing and felt relieved about doing so. There are so many emotions in this book that it's almost impossible to convey all those feelings in one go. This is a memoir for readers who are taking care of their parents or are soon going to start this journey. We must cherish our parents while they are still here.

Reviewed By Steve Leshin for Readers' Favorite

Dear Prudence: The Story Behind the Song by Prudence Farrow Bruns is a personal memoir about growing up with an exceptional family ensconced in the 1940s-1950s Hollywood lifestyle up through the culture of the 1960s and beyond. Most importantly, it is the personal growth of Prudence Farrow. As the title states, the author is the subject of the song “Dear Prudence” by the Beatles and recorded on their famous “White Album”. How she became an inspiration for the fab four to pen the song is deftly chronicled by the author, complete with pictures of the Farrow family.

As a life-long Beatles' fan, I am familiar with the song “Dear Prudence”. Before I read this book I knew it was about a real person, possibly Mia Farrow, who was known to accompany the Beatles on their visit to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the late ‘60s. Prudence is a real person all right, as the reader will discover in this book. Prudence paints a tapestry of life as one of seven children born to a famous actress, Maureen O’Sullivan, (she was Jane in the early Tarzan movies) and director, actor and writer, John Farrow (Around the World in Eighty Days). Why Prudence as a name? As she tells it, her father named her after a long-lost aunt from Australia. We find out later, the aunt never existed. The angst of growing up with famous parents and her older sibling, Mia Farrow, contributed to her struggles with adolescence, with the family constant traveling due to tax laws, and John Farrow’s movie locations in exotic parts of the world. We find out how Maureen O’Sullivan is discovered and we are introduced to Prudence’s very eccentric grandmother.

As a teen, Prudence discovers alcohol, drugs and LSD, whatever was available at the time. Raised a Catholic in a very religious family, her hunt for spirituality and peace would not come easily. With unfiltered candor, she takes the reader through her complicated relationship with her mother and father, her spoiled rich kid phase, her struggles with religion, years of treatment for mental illness and her experiments with mind-bending drugs. She admits her sibling rivalry with older sister Mia Farrow and gives an honest depiction of her stint in different boarding schools. Without giving too much away, let us say we find out how the song “Dear Prudence” came to be, her inside observations of John Lennon and George Harrison while in India with the Maharishi, and how she found redemption through the power of TM (Transcendental Meditation).