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Great read. She is an amazing human being to have overcome such adversity. Mary's journey is truly extraordinary. I couldn't put the book down.
It is a story with which many of us can identify because of the slow, insidious, and steady impact of growing up in families that not only cannot provide the basic necessities of life such as food and shelter, but do not provide safety, security, or emotional and psychological support. Mary's story is a plain truth story of survival and determination. My career was as the Director of a rape treatment center and child protection team. As children we are great at taking responsibility for the family. I was quite moved and I've heard it all. Having read Mary's book, I assure you that it is a compelling read, hauntingly told without hysteria or histrionics. In an almost eerily pragmatic tone, Mary tells her story of a seriously deprived childhood in which she quickly adapted and accepted the status quo.
No "poor me" in this one - just the facts told in a straightforward manner. Could not put the book down. After reading what Mary experienced as a child and what she overcame to become an educated, successful and caring adult you too will understand that it IS possible. As a professional who has worked in the field of Behavioral and Mental Health, I can highly recommend this book to adults AND teens. What a quality written autobiography that reads more like a fiction. Entertaining, motivational and educational.
Mary Kilgour's story is just an incredible eye-opener, told with such self-deprecating humor and honesty that you'll find yourself laughing and crying - and happy to learn that Ms Kilgour is now working to help children who are growing up facing some of the same issues she did. This insightful and touching memoir - Catcher in the Rye meets Horatio Alger - makes you wonder how a young woman exposed to such a difficult and deprived childhood can graduate from high school, not to mention earning a PhD from Harvard and becoming a leader in her profession. Even with elaborate support systems in place, most of us accomplish much less.
I let a woman at my work read it after me and she loved it too. BTW, I can't stand depressing books.although Mary had a tough childhood, her book never left me feeling depressed. I loved this book. Like most of the books I love, it offers a glimpse into a reality so different from my own.
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