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Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness
In the vein of Educated and Hillbilly Elegy comes a young woman’s memoir chronicling her harrowing journey from despair to salvation that showcases the depths and resilience of the human spirit and empowers readers on their own paths toward healing, forgiveness, and redemption.
Carrie Sheffield grew up fifth of eight children with a violent, mentally ill, street-musician father who believed he was a modern-day Mormon prophet destined to become U.S. president someday. She and her seven siblings were often forced to live as vagabonds, remaining on the move across the country. They frequently subsisted in sheds, tents, and, most notably, motorhomes. They often lived a dysfunctional drifter existence, camping out in their motorhome in Walmart parking lots. Carrie attended 17 public schools and homeschool, all while performing classical music on the streets and passing out fire-and-brimstone religious pamphlets—at times while child custody workers loomed.
Carrie’s father was eventually excommunicated from the official LDS Church, and she was the first of her siblings to escape the toxic brainwashing of his fundamentalist creed. Declared legally estranged from her parents, Carrie struggled with her mental health during college and for most of her adult life. But she eventually seized control of her life, transcended her troubled past, and overcame her toxic inner voice (and a near death experience)—thanks to the power of forgiveness, cultivated through her conversion to Christianity. She evolved from a scared and abused motorhome-dwelling girl to a Harvard-educated professional with a passion for empowering others to reject the cycles of poverty, depression, and self-hatred.
Motorhome Prophecies is the story of Carrie’s unbelievable, yet in many ways, very American journey. It resonates with those trapped in difficult situations and awes all who are enchanted by the depths and resilience of the human spirit.
Carrie Sheffield grew up fifth of eight children with a violent, mentally ill, street-musician father who believed he was a modern-day Mormon prophet destined to become U.S. president someday. She and her seven siblings were often forced to live as vagabonds, remaining on the move across the country. They frequently subsisted in sheds, tents, and, most notably, motorhomes. They often lived a dysfunctional drifter existence, camping out in their motorhome in Walmart parking lots. Carrie attended 17 public schools and homeschool, all while performing classical music on the streets and passing out fire-and-brimstone religious pamphlets—at times while child custody workers loomed.
Carrie’s father was eventually excommunicated from the official LDS Church, and she was the first of her siblings to escape the toxic brainwashing of his fundamentalist creed. Declared legally estranged from her parents, Carrie struggled with her mental health during college and for most of her adult life. But she eventually seized control of her life, transcended her troubled past, and overcame her toxic inner voice (and a near death experience)—thanks to the power of forgiveness, cultivated through her conversion to Christianity. She evolved from a scared and abused motorhome-dwelling girl to a Harvard-educated professional with a passion for empowering others to reject the cycles of poverty, depression, and self-hatred.
Motorhome Prophecies is the story of Carrie’s unbelievable, yet in many ways, very American journey. It resonates with those trapped in difficult situations and awes all who are enchanted by the depths and resilience of the human spirit.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 12, 2024
59 people are currently reading
3561 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Sheffield
1 book41 followersCarrie Sheffield is a columnist and broadcaster in Washington DC. She earned a full-tuition Harvard scholarship, managed billions of dollars in risk at Wall Street firms, and competed in a Miss USA system beauty pageant. A journalist and former White House correspondent, she challenged the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and testified as an economic expert before the US Congress.
Carrie achieved all this while overcoming a life of extreme poverty and psychological, spiritual, and sexual abuse. A recovered agnostic, Carrie eventually found peace and anchoring in Christianity.
Carrie shares insights on networks like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and more. From ABC’s Good Morning America to HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, PBS, and C-SPAN, she uses her dynamic voice to resonate with audiences of millions.
A traveling enthusiast, Carrie visited every continent—including Antarctica—before age 30. She ran the Marine Corps Marathon and won the National Press Club 5K three times. Named a “Most Inspiring New Yorker” by the popular connection app Bumble, Carrie is passionate about instilling resilience and joy in others.
Carrie achieved all this while overcoming a life of extreme poverty and psychological, spiritual, and sexual abuse. A recovered agnostic, Carrie eventually found peace and anchoring in Christianity.
Carrie shares insights on networks like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and more. From ABC’s Good Morning America to HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, PBS, and C-SPAN, she uses her dynamic voice to resonate with audiences of millions.
A traveling enthusiast, Carrie visited every continent—including Antarctica—before age 30. She ran the Marine Corps Marathon and won the National Press Club 5K three times. Named a “Most Inspiring New Yorker” by the popular connection app Bumble, Carrie is passionate about instilling resilience and joy in others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
March 28, 2024
Oh man, this was not an easy read, but I couldn't stop listening to it. The author describes the abuse she and her family went through, how they kept moving from place to place, constantly switching schools and how despite all of that she still came out on top.
It's an inspiring memoir for sure, because it shows that no matter where you come from, how you grew up and what you went through, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel. It just finds some people sooner, others later, like in Carrie Sheffield's case.
She grew up in a mini cult where her father thought he was a prophet of God and would be the next president of the United States, and the rest of the family fed into these delusions for the most part. I'm glad Carrie was able to get out and find her own place in life, and Christ, after so much struggle.
I appreciate how honest Sheffield is in this book, it takes a lot of courage to share all of that, but hey, you did it, good job!!! I hope this book can help someone in a similar situation feel less alone.
Now I feel compelled to watch the videos linked on the author's website talking about the book, because I simply haven't had enough of her story.
It's an inspiring memoir for sure, because it shows that no matter where you come from, how you grew up and what you went through, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel. It just finds some people sooner, others later, like in Carrie Sheffield's case.
She grew up in a mini cult where her father thought he was a prophet of God and would be the next president of the United States, and the rest of the family fed into these delusions for the most part. I'm glad Carrie was able to get out and find her own place in life, and Christ, after so much struggle.
I appreciate how honest Sheffield is in this book, it takes a lot of courage to share all of that, but hey, you did it, good job!!! I hope this book can help someone in a similar situation feel less alone.
Now I feel compelled to watch the videos linked on the author's website talking about the book, because I simply haven't had enough of her story.
June 16, 2024
Carrie Sheffield (b. 1983)'s memoir feels like a traumatic childhood, a quarter-life crisis, and a mid-life crisis rolled into one book. The narrative structure is confusing, jumping back and forth through space and time vs. linear and demarcated, and there is a glaring amount of repetition that strongly tempted me to invent my own drinking game (and I'm a teetotaler) everytime any of the following subjects were reiterated: Harvard, full scholarship, dark triad, highly sensitive person, prodigious musical ability, and Aunt Charlotte the beauty pageant queen.
I feel bad for writing this way about a memoir where its author is clearly being very vulnerable about a difficult past, specifically the emotional abuse that she, her seven living siblings, and her mother suffered at the hands of her fanatically religious LDS extremist father, whom she refers to as Ralph throughout. Sheffield's upbringing became increasingly unstable as her father delved further into his rabbit hole of delusion, being excommunicated from the mainstream LDS church and dragging the family around in the titular motorhome to prophesize and minister through music. Much like Tara Westover in Educated (who also grew up in an extreme LDS fundamentalist family with an abusive father), Sheffield's father excommunicated her from their family when she decided at 18 to leave the family ministry and attend college, ultimately pursuing a career in journalism and policy. Most of her college years were spent at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, but she left the LDS church at 22 after learning about historical church hypocrisies, waffled as an agnostic for around a decade, and then reaffirmed religion through a mainstream Christian church in her 30s. Sheffield's life isn't all rainbows and sunshine now, though -- it's clear she's still working through childhood traumas and her own hangups about ego and superiority, romantic relationships, and reconciling her vision of having a bunch of babies with the realities of being a female in her early 40s.
My mark of a good memoir is perspective that comes with maturity and reflection. My biggest issue with this memoir, other than the meandering and repetitive narrative, is that there's a glaring lack of perspective, maturity, and reflection throughout. Sheffield deeply resents her father but also exalts his musical talents, imagining some fantasy world in which he could have been a world-famous classical guitarist; as an adult she seems to repeatedly date men who she finds talented in some way but they treat her like garbage, cheat on her, belittle her, and clearly don't have the perspicacity to live up to their talents and potential -- do you see a pattern here?
Further reading: memoirs of overcoming childhood/religious trauma
Educated by Tara Westover
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Women We Buried, Women We Burned: A Memoir by Rachel Louise Snyder
North of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Unusual Family, and How I Survived Both by Cea Sunrise Person
The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph by Oksana Masters
Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope by Megan Phelps-Roper
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Uncultured: A Memoir by Daniella Mestyanek Young
My stats:
Book 124 for 2024
Book 1727 cumulatively
I feel bad for writing this way about a memoir where its author is clearly being very vulnerable about a difficult past, specifically the emotional abuse that she, her seven living siblings, and her mother suffered at the hands of her fanatically religious LDS extremist father, whom she refers to as Ralph throughout. Sheffield's upbringing became increasingly unstable as her father delved further into his rabbit hole of delusion, being excommunicated from the mainstream LDS church and dragging the family around in the titular motorhome to prophesize and minister through music. Much like Tara Westover in Educated (who also grew up in an extreme LDS fundamentalist family with an abusive father), Sheffield's father excommunicated her from their family when she decided at 18 to leave the family ministry and attend college, ultimately pursuing a career in journalism and policy. Most of her college years were spent at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, but she left the LDS church at 22 after learning about historical church hypocrisies, waffled as an agnostic for around a decade, and then reaffirmed religion through a mainstream Christian church in her 30s. Sheffield's life isn't all rainbows and sunshine now, though -- it's clear she's still working through childhood traumas and her own hangups about ego and superiority, romantic relationships, and reconciling her vision of having a bunch of babies with the realities of being a female in her early 40s.
My mark of a good memoir is perspective that comes with maturity and reflection. My biggest issue with this memoir, other than the meandering and repetitive narrative, is that there's a glaring lack of perspective, maturity, and reflection throughout. Sheffield deeply resents her father but also exalts his musical talents, imagining some fantasy world in which he could have been a world-famous classical guitarist; as an adult she seems to repeatedly date men who she finds talented in some way but they treat her like garbage, cheat on her, belittle her, and clearly don't have the perspicacity to live up to their talents and potential -- do you see a pattern here?
Further reading: memoirs of overcoming childhood/religious trauma
Educated by Tara Westover
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Women We Buried, Women We Burned: A Memoir by Rachel Louise Snyder
North of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Unusual Family, and How I Survived Both by Cea Sunrise Person
The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph by Oksana Masters
Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope by Megan Phelps-Roper
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Uncultured: A Memoir by Daniella Mestyanek Young
My stats:
Book 124 for 2024
Book 1727 cumulatively
January 11, 2024
Possibly cathartic for the author, but this is the most difficult book I’ve ever read.
Carrie Sheffield’s memoir is incredibly detailed. The first 13 chapters are a literal blow by blow accounting of the horrific events she experienced in the perverse, Mormon, LDS adjacent unit they called family.
The first 13 chapters are dark and I almost DNF’d multiple times as my soul was grieving with very little relief, page after page after horrific event. The depth of mental illness is astounding and it effects everyone to varying degrees. Her father and brothers should have been institutionalized YEARS ago; many, many years ago.
For readers that have an history of mental illness in their family, this book is a nonstop trigger warning. I grew up with a mentally ill mother but Carrie’s father makes her a saint, in comparison.
If you’re grounded and a fan of memoirs, the last three chapters are truly some light at the end of this long, dark tunnel. Despite the first 30+ years of all encompassing abuse, Carrie finds some victory and a path to continue success along. I won’t spoil the ending for those readers who take the journey.
Normally, I wouldn’t suggest skipping or skimming but because the first 225 pages are so hard to read, it’s possible to read the first 2-3 chapters and spot visit the next 10 before checking back in fully at chapter 13 or 14…just a suggestion.
3.5 stars rounded up for perseverance and good writing📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks
Carrie Sheffield’s memoir is incredibly detailed. The first 13 chapters are a literal blow by blow accounting of the horrific events she experienced in the perverse, Mormon, LDS adjacent unit they called family.
The first 13 chapters are dark and I almost DNF’d multiple times as my soul was grieving with very little relief, page after page after horrific event. The depth of mental illness is astounding and it effects everyone to varying degrees. Her father and brothers should have been institutionalized YEARS ago; many, many years ago.
For readers that have an history of mental illness in their family, this book is a nonstop trigger warning. I grew up with a mentally ill mother but Carrie’s father makes her a saint, in comparison.
If you’re grounded and a fan of memoirs, the last three chapters are truly some light at the end of this long, dark tunnel. Despite the first 30+ years of all encompassing abuse, Carrie finds some victory and a path to continue success along. I won’t spoil the ending for those readers who take the journey.
Normally, I wouldn’t suggest skipping or skimming but because the first 225 pages are so hard to read, it’s possible to read the first 2-3 chapters and spot visit the next 10 before checking back in fully at chapter 13 or 14…just a suggestion.
3.5 stars rounded up for perseverance and good writing📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks
March 17, 2024
Motorhome Prophecies has been compared to now-Senator J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy and Tara Westover’s Educated. But readers will find that Carrie Sheffield’s memoir stands on its own taking the mental health crisis head-on and offering hope.
May 29, 2024
This was such a strange read to me. Having read a series of books written by authors trying to deconstruct their abusive childhoods, I wasn’t surprised this read like a therapy journal but there was a lot of very strange inserts. Her obsession about naming brands and describing clothing she wore at certain key events in her life, inserting prices of things with “updated” value to 2023, an almost distant review of her religious journey that declares itself complete when obviously it isn’t, her hyper analysis of her dating life . . . I could go on.
I kept thinking she needed a better editor but in the end realized she just didn’t need to publish this. There was no “point” and she still seems so clearly unfocused on what and who she is.
I truly feel for her (even her author page seems so desperate for affirmation) but in the end, I don’t understand the value of her opening up all her trauma for us to see.
I kept thinking she needed a better editor but in the end realized she just didn’t need to publish this. There was no “point” and she still seems so clearly unfocused on what and who she is.
I truly feel for her (even her author page seems so desperate for affirmation) but in the end, I don’t understand the value of her opening up all her trauma for us to see.
March 12, 2025
Inspirational book on the paths to overcoming challenges with God’s grace by Carrie Sheffield. Check it out!
May 6, 2025
An honest and sometimes jaw-dropping recounting of an excruciating childhood and God's grace that allowed the author to survive and go on to do great things in this world.
February 11, 2024
I received a Goodreads Giveaway Advance Reading Copy of this book, so my review may not be completely fitting upon the book's release in March 2024.
While the author indeed has a story of escape, forgiveness, and redemption worth sharing, it is muddled by three things:
1) The hodgepodge presentation of memories throughout the book. The style is reminiscent of a stream of consciousness work, which by definition is written thoughts as they come to mind with no editing to make it more presentable and understandable (a style best suited for personal journaling).
2) The author's constant need to beat the drum for multiple social justice issues. I felt like she needed to write multiple books to address all of her concerns.
3) It's often repetitive.
That said, there is much of interest contained within the chapters to keep the reader turning the pages for more.
While the author indeed has a story of escape, forgiveness, and redemption worth sharing, it is muddled by three things:
1) The hodgepodge presentation of memories throughout the book. The style is reminiscent of a stream of consciousness work, which by definition is written thoughts as they come to mind with no editing to make it more presentable and understandable (a style best suited for personal journaling).
2) The author's constant need to beat the drum for multiple social justice issues. I felt like she needed to write multiple books to address all of her concerns.
3) It's often repetitive.
That said, there is much of interest contained within the chapters to keep the reader turning the pages for more.
April 4, 2024
The book is like an Americana dystopian adventure, harrowing. I know the public 'Cool under pressure' Carrie Sheffield in a public way. What a sweet lady. It's hard to believe things like this happen, never mind a girl like Carrie who went through this and presents herself the way she is today. She is an inspiration, a lady that shows you don't need excuses not to excel. She is a blessed gift to the rest of us mere mortals.
What a movie this would make, it has it all, just thinking aloud now.
Spoiler, it has the best, happiest ending ever.
What a movie this would make, it has it all, just thinking aloud now.
Spoiler, it has the best, happiest ending ever.
May 23, 2024
This book is a DNF for me. While I am sympathetic to the obvious abuse Carrie and her whole family endured under the control of a mentally ill father, her writing style frustrated me. Was this book self edited? It was a repetitive, verbose and meandering narrative, yet not specific regarding to the physical, verbal and emotional abuses suffered. Having a co-author/editor to help focus the story would have brought much more clarity to Carrie's account. A much better read of this genre is the Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. Don't waste your time on this one!
January 11, 2025
Good for Carrie Sheffield for bravely telling the story of her childhood. A fascinating look into the devastating effects of religious zealotry and cult participation. I learned many surprising things about the LDS church and its beliefs. Carrie’s journey through the mental illness and abuse of her father is painful but her resilience and subsequent achievements are inspiring. I highly recommend the book starting at the junior high level. Would make an excellent book club read.
March 6, 2025
Honest and infinitely wise.
This beautifully written book touched the deepest parts of my heart and helped me take a step closer to healing. The experiences reflect so many of my own so in a way I felt seen, and heard as I read. I love how honest it was and how wise the author is speaking with so much wisdom, and yet being humble. What a brilliant book!
This beautifully written book touched the deepest parts of my heart and helped me take a step closer to healing. The experiences reflect so many of my own so in a way I felt seen, and heard as I read. I love how honest it was and how wise the author is speaking with so much wisdom, and yet being humble. What a brilliant book!
June 28, 2024
I recently read this book, I liked the way it narrated the stories and how difficult a situation can become for a young person.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2024
Tough and challenging read that makes me ever more grateful for our Savior who comes in the midst of hardship and brokenness and lifts us up.
November 12, 2024
Heartbreaking and transformative! I found myself taking pictures of quotes and stories that I want to continue to remember.
January 11, 2025
Thank you second cousin 🙏
June 13, 2025
Great life story about overcoming challenges!
February 16, 2024
This book made me sad, it was so poorly executed. The only thing it has in common with Hillbilly Elegy and Education is that the author thinks their story is as compelling.
For being an educated and successful journalist, Ms. Sheffield is a terrible author. This book is a meandering collection of mildly upsetting events throughout her unconventional but boring child and young adulthood. I think she’s trying to be clever and suspenseful by bringing up tidbits and saying “more on that later” in parenthesis only to go down wandering garden paths of stream of consciousness inane stories. Throughout is constant name dropping of historical idols, religious leaders, and bible quotes that have barely any relation to the majority of the material.
One section of the book that particularly bothered me was when she salaciously brings up the brutal murder of a member of her temporary church, who she did not know, and said “her death confirmed my desire to stay away from the traumatizing crowd.” No further context.
Then immediately launches into a story about a family inheritance windfall and turns that into a poor me story - she squandered over $250,000 on a terrible investment instead of using it for, you know, housing or grad school.
I could go on, but I won’t because I just want to completely forget this book exists. I won it as part of a Goodreads giveaway and I have regrets.
For being an educated and successful journalist, Ms. Sheffield is a terrible author. This book is a meandering collection of mildly upsetting events throughout her unconventional but boring child and young adulthood. I think she’s trying to be clever and suspenseful by bringing up tidbits and saying “more on that later” in parenthesis only to go down wandering garden paths of stream of consciousness inane stories. Throughout is constant name dropping of historical idols, religious leaders, and bible quotes that have barely any relation to the majority of the material.
One section of the book that particularly bothered me was when she salaciously brings up the brutal murder of a member of her temporary church, who she did not know, and said “her death confirmed my desire to stay away from the traumatizing crowd.” No further context.
Then immediately launches into a story about a family inheritance windfall and turns that into a poor me story - she squandered over $250,000 on a terrible investment instead of using it for, you know, housing or grad school.
I could go on, but I won’t because I just want to completely forget this book exists. I won it as part of a Goodreads giveaway and I have regrets.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2024
I found the narrative a bit hard to follow, as it jumped around chronologically, particularly in the author's young-adult years. For instance, I read on one page of a years-long estrangement from a sister, only to find an anecdote a few pages later about the same sister as a roommate intervening in a personal crisis; one presumes that the incident that precipitated the estrangement actually occurred afterward, but it was unclear. A break-up with one boyfriend seems to be narrated ahead of the actual description of their time together, and a chapter break jumps from the author's conversion to Christianity back to an incident that occurred when she was an agnostic.
Also, as a grammar pedant, I feel compelled to point out that, on page 230, when the text reads, "Clearly psychotic, authorities locked him in Bellevue psychiatric hospital," it is the person being admitted, *not* the authorities, who is clearly psychotic, despite the positioning of the descriptive phrase.
However, one can only be moved with gratitude and admiration for the author's accomplishments after the events of her childhood, for her receptivity to the Holy Spirit moving in her life, and for her generous motivations in writing this book. The last chapter, in particular, is gold.
Also, as a grammar pedant, I feel compelled to point out that, on page 230, when the text reads, "Clearly psychotic, authorities locked him in Bellevue psychiatric hospital," it is the person being admitted, *not* the authorities, who is clearly psychotic, despite the positioning of the descriptive phrase.
However, one can only be moved with gratitude and admiration for the author's accomplishments after the events of her childhood, for her receptivity to the Holy Spirit moving in her life, and for her generous motivations in writing this book. The last chapter, in particular, is gold.
October 15, 2024
This book is a MUST READ. I laughed and I cried as I faced a few of my own traumas. Carrie writes in a way that keeps the storyline moving, intriguing, and easy to read. She deals with the really hard questions in life like 'why do bad things happen to good people?' and 'is God doing this to me?'; questions we are all facing in this uncertain world, and definitely questions those of us who have struggled with mental illness find ourselves desperately seeking answers for. My daughter read it, my mother read it, my mother's best friend read it and we are still raving about it!
March 17, 2025
This is Hillbilly Elegy meets Educated. What is the same is that Carrie is Ivy League educated and quite professionally successful despite family challenges and personal adversity. The difference in her book is a push and promotion of faith family and community as the anchors of our lives and tools to help us heal.
March 30, 2024
3 ⭐️
I see why this was said to be similar to Educated, but I loved that this book had more purpose. The author has definitely worked through and healed from her childhood abuse, and it was refreshing to hear her explanation of the forgiveness she gives to her family throughout the story, instead of just at the end.
I wish she had spent a bit more time detailing why she actually started going to church and how she actually forgave her father. I also felt like the story jumped around a lot. Sometime we didn’t get a full explanation of things that happened, and I was often confused where in the timeline of her life we were.
Still an enjoyable read, and it is amazing to see how God transformed her life!
I see why this was said to be similar to Educated, but I loved that this book had more purpose. The author has definitely worked through and healed from her childhood abuse, and it was refreshing to hear her explanation of the forgiveness she gives to her family throughout the story, instead of just at the end.
I wish she had spent a bit more time detailing why she actually started going to church and how she actually forgave her father. I also felt like the story jumped around a lot. Sometime we didn’t get a full explanation of things that happened, and I was often confused where in the timeline of her life we were.
Still an enjoyable read, and it is amazing to see how God transformed her life!
December 12, 2025
If you liked The Glass Castle or Hillbilly Elegy, you’ll appreciate this book. Motorhome Prophecies tells the author’s remarkable story of overcoming a deeply dysfunctional upbringing marked by poverty, mental health struggles and sexual assault. Despite these challenges, she became Harvard-educated and built a successful career as a journalist and broadcaster. Yet her true healing didn’t come through professional achievement—it came when she found her faith, which allowed her to forgive and move forward. Carrie’s journey is powerful and inspiring, especially for anyone who has ever felt dealt a difficult hand.
September 18, 2025
This is a powerful read at a time when healing and forgiveness are in short supply. Carrie Sheffield is a talented writer who uses her gifts to paint a personal story of hardship, disappointment, but ultimately redemption and hope. It is incredibly difficult to read at times, but necessary in understanding the effects of trauma on individuals and families.
Carrie’s personal story is proof positive that the American Dream is alive and well, and its road is paved with hard work, perseverance, faith, and forgiveness.
Highly recommend this book!
Carrie’s personal story is proof positive that the American Dream is alive and well, and its road is paved with hard work, perseverance, faith, and forgiveness.
Highly recommend this book!
September 15, 2025
References to Sheffield's elite education made me hopeful for an engaging read. I was disappointed that the writing was ultimately prosaic, which might be related to Sheffield's journalism background, since it reflects that style of writing.
The author capitalizes on her so-called "Mormon" background to tell her story. Except, just like in "Educated," by Tara Westover, her home life offers a scarce resemblance to a traditional Mormon family. Her father was clearly mentally ill with delusions of grandeur, and he was itinerant, and abusive. Throughout the book, she acknowledges that her father decided long before he got married that he believed that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints had been led astray and he didn't respect their leadership. She alludes to bizarre, obsessive religious practices perpetuated by her father and what looks like religious abuse which he alone invented and not at all representative of LDS religious practice. Quite the opposite, in fact. His delusions are manifested in his belief that he considers himself to be a sort of present and future prophet, among other things. Since his background was Mormonism, that became the vehicle for his mental illness. If he had been raised Catholic, Jewish, Pentecostal Christian, Muslim, Sikh, atheist, etc., it's highly likely that any of those would have been the expression for his delusions.
In her meaning-making of the intergenerational abuse from her father, I found it strange as a marriage and family therapist that she invoked the theories of Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy from his contextual family therapy, which is largely theoretical and known for being elitist and less accessible than other models, which is why one of his protégées, Terry Hargrave, created Restoration Therapy to be more clinically useful. I couldn't figure out, given her earlier reference to attachment, why she would bypass that more modern and empirically-validated theory for a clunkier, somewhat outdated one. Her father experienced an absence of secure attachment, which impacts view of self and trust of others, and didn't provide it for his children. Attachment affects everything and is shaped by ongoing experiences recursively.
While the author gives lip service to her "Mormon friends," there were many things in the book that felt designed to undermine the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For starters, she led out with a faulty assumption that people who joined the church while the LDS church was being organized were enamored of Joseph Smith, the founder, who was led to reorganize Christ's original church, since the churches had strayed from the original doctrine. Not a single written account of my multiple ancestors who joined the LDS church while Joseph Smith was alive mentions joining the church because of Joseph Smith. The "charismatic leader" argument is faulty. ALL of them were searching for a church that had not strayed from Christ's original church and were led to the newly organized LDS church specifically through their seeking to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. The author also has no explanation for why the church didn't die out after the "charismatic leader" was murdered in his early 30s, as with other religions started by charismatic leaders, but instead flourished and continues to grow internationally today.
I'm too tired to recount all of the carefully-worded manipulations, but, for example, she only included song titles she sang in the children's organization of the church that are exclusive to LDS doctrine, while conveniently leaving out titles related to Jesus Christ, even though those songs represent a greater proportion of LDS children's songs that are sung routinely. This seemed designed to make the church seem culty, probably because she has joined one of the Christian sects known for their disdain of Mormons and spreading misinformation about them (If I only had a dollar for all the times I was told I was going to hell by "Christians"). Maybe since her church attendance seemed spotty, she is genuinely ignorant of the emphasis on Jesus Christ CONSTANTLY in the LDS religion, but I doubt it, since her social media presence includes a post in the LDS conference center where the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performs routinely in church-sponsored interfaith events (for which the LDS church rarely if ever gets credit, despite being a church that is constantly trying to build bridges with other religions in their communities).
Sheffield seems like a smart, kindish person. I'm sorry that she suffered so much isolation, manipulation and abuse. Based on my experiences growing up in California around mostly non-Mormons, the LDS homes were consistently unique beacons of light in the dark, safer and kinder with engaged parents and no substance abuse. The other "Christian" households seemed hypocritical to me and since they believe they can just accept Christ as their Savior and then do whatever they want, there was no motivation to actually behave in Christlike ways, with few exceptions - they gave lip service to Christlike practices while ignoring them except when convenient or when garnering public attention. In my own home, my LDS father didn't raise his voice, never spanked me, never used a four-letter word and came home every night literally declaring, "Is everybody happy?" while hugging his children and my mom. I had one of the few households without divorce. I was also encouraged to get as much education as I could. That scenario is more congruent with an LDS household. In her home, it seems that the lovely doctrine of Christ was twisted into something dark and controlling, with a strange entitlement linked to a perceived special Mormon pioneer pedigree. This does not make you special and unique among members of the LDS church in Utah or anywhere else - famous Mormon pedigrees are a dime a dozen and meaningless when it comes to practicing church principles or position in the church.
There is no doubt that the author developed a cloak of self-importance. Her hubris is likely what led to her applying presentist arguments to cherry-picked resources to conclude that she knows better than over 12 million people that the LDS church is false. I guarantee that she found nothing in the basement of the Lee Library about the origins of the church that I didn't already know at age 10 in California, because when your "Christian," neighbors are attending Sunday school classes about how your religion is wrong, there is no avoiding these supposed deep dark secrets of LDS origins (because they aren't - the fact that she didn't know about them doesn't mean no one else did either). Evangelicals love to spring cherry-picked fun facts on LDS people hoping for a gotcha moment, a process which is decidedly un-Christian. The author was insulated and didn't know these things and at the time, the church didn't choose to lead out with this part of history - it doesn't mean they were hiding it. I have heard nothing in an anti-Mormon's argument that I haven't known since the 5th grade. However, I'm not surprised by her reactions to previously unknown information, because one gets the sense that she believes she possesses a special intellectualism that the rest of us don't, and seems to potentially struggle with theory of mind. She believes her magical journalism powers give her special access. They don't.
She also conveniently leaves out the church's efforts to rigorously train scholars in secular topics as part of an ongoing effort to expand historical and archaeological knowledge. She referenced the Smithsonian as one of the experts challenging any historical evidence for the Book of Mormon. We now know the Smithsonian has been withholding information incompatible with a narrative they want to promote for North American history. Items previously considered "anachronistic," in the Book of Mormon are increasingly being validated through ongoing archaeological discoveries. Science and evidence are only as good as the measurements, and it's mind-boggling how frequently people make definitive statements without acknowledging that there may be more we don't know, since science is always changing and new discoveries challenging flawed theories is omnipresent.
Her continual recitations about her academic accomplishments at her present age reveal that she must cling to this to prove her worth, even as she might want us to believe otherwise. The LDS church values secular education (as Amy Chua conveys in the book referenced by the author), and is full of people who could have gone to Harvard or any Ivy League school on scholarship. Prominent leaders in the Harvard business school were LDS, possibly concurrently with the author's attendance. Her prattling on about her awards seemed juvenile and tiresome. I laughed out loud when she used the word "histrionic," and then proceeded to explain to the reader that it means "dramatic." Uh, thanks for the definition, since no one apparently knows what that means. Firstly, if you have to define it, why use the word, and secondly, did you forget there's this thing called a dictionary that a surprisingly large number of your fellow citizens know how to use? Or Google?
It is true that LDS people have a strong emphasis on family. It's also true that there are likely more divorced LDS people worldwide than not divorced. Many LDS families don't fit the traditional model. I have divorced family members, including temple divorces going back to some of my original pioneer ancestors - this does not preclude people from progressing after they die or from experiencing family happiness - her explanation of this was limited, since we believe in an afterlife where we keep progressing. We also have one of the most compassionate views of the afterlife of any religion. We don't have large families to "try to get as many LDS spirits here as possible" or however she phrased it - that's a ridiculous thing to say when China doesn't even openly allow the LDS religion right now and has what, 1/5 of the world's population? We have large families because we believe that meaning and purpose come full-circle by teaching and applying Christ's principles in our families, and it's a vehicle for happiness, and provides stability. I have a PhD and a career, and it's meaningless compared to the growth and development achieved by being a mom.
She correctly identifies a cult as something that "you can't leave with your dignity intact." Anyone who says this about the LDS church is lying or has an excessively controlling family like Sheffield who are themselves a type of cult. Despite the fact that Christians have for years been diminishing the LDS church with that term, people in the LDS church are not coerced into staying, isolated, followed shunned, or anything of the like that happens in true cults. The church is too international to be isolationist. The cult argument is absurd for many other reasons, but has become a cheap, inaccurate mockery meant to diminish the true purpose of the LDS church, which is to lead people to Jesus Christ and teach members to follow Jesus' example, and ultimately reduce suffering in the world. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of the leaders for providing money, material resources and volunteer service in humanitarian efforts globally. Look it up. If I were going to count on FEMA or our church, it for sure would not be FEMA.
Sheffield includes outright falsehoods, including a statement about bishops being "matchmakers," (100% not true, and I've both been married to a Mormon bishop and the daughter of a twice Mormon bishop and Patriarch), and a blasphemous statement that LDS people don't believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ. It is true that they don't agree with the decision made by a bunch of self-appointed dudes at the Nicaean Council who arbitrarily decided that Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Ghost are a "trinity," but protestants get this absolutely wrong about the LDS church by constantly taking our view of Jesus as our divine older brother out of context. I get it - she doesn't believe that Joseph Smith had the experiences that he said he had - that's her prerogative, which actually makes little sense, since early on, he could have retracted his story and saved himself a lot of persecution, false imprisonment and ultimate martyrdom - which is what any charlatan would have done. Charlatans don't have the character to stand by their convictions and continue to testify, despite being hunted down and ultimately put on a government extermination list (which most people don't even know about LDS history in Missouri). Charlatans don't direct their flock to worship Jesus Christ - instead, Joseph Smith would have directed people to worship him, and despite what our Christian enemies constantly assert, he never directed people to worship him - it was always and will always be about Jesus Christ.
I'm glad she found a theology mixed with philosophy that works for her, but it's alarming what she doesn't seem to know about the church in which she was baptized. I'm 60 years old and so weary of the constant half truths and omissions perpetuated about our church, especially when people with spurious and limited engagement with our religion are viewed as the experts. By their fruits ye shall know them. Full stop. Also, the sheep will hear His voice. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will continue to grow despite the efforts of its enemies, as it always has.
The reason the LDS church has continued to grow isn't because they are organizationally or culturally savvy - it's because people who are seeking truth recognize it. This why one of our formerly Hindu friends explained that in India, when he decided to study Christianity and went to every church he could find, he ended up with the foundling, sparsely populated congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in New Delhi. It definitely wasn't one of the sparkly, materialistically progressive options.
Sheffield made an interesting comment that her grandfather served an LDS mission in the Southern States Mission, in which she essentially couldn't imagine success because of the area's strong Baptist roots. Well, my great-grandmother was a Baptist in the "Southern States Mission," in the late 1800s, and while praying for guidance to "live her life for Jesus," she was specifically divinely guided along with her husband, who was a minister, to the LDS missionaries. Even though her neighbors were calling Mormons "evil," and spreading lies and telling people to not listen to them, my great-grandparents recognized that the teachings more closely resembled Christ's original teachings. She also recognized specifically how temple covenants and rituals are part of the divine plan, with origins from the Old Testament, not something randomly made up as a faux Christian add-on, like the author suggests. Joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints changed their lives and I'm grateful for their choice, because it has provided more goodness in my life than anything else and has positively affected generations.
Maybe don't capitalize on the word "Mormon," when your life resembles almost nothing of the kind except in name only. It's gross.
The author capitalizes on her so-called "Mormon" background to tell her story. Except, just like in "Educated," by Tara Westover, her home life offers a scarce resemblance to a traditional Mormon family. Her father was clearly mentally ill with delusions of grandeur, and he was itinerant, and abusive. Throughout the book, she acknowledges that her father decided long before he got married that he believed that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints had been led astray and he didn't respect their leadership. She alludes to bizarre, obsessive religious practices perpetuated by her father and what looks like religious abuse which he alone invented and not at all representative of LDS religious practice. Quite the opposite, in fact. His delusions are manifested in his belief that he considers himself to be a sort of present and future prophet, among other things. Since his background was Mormonism, that became the vehicle for his mental illness. If he had been raised Catholic, Jewish, Pentecostal Christian, Muslim, Sikh, atheist, etc., it's highly likely that any of those would have been the expression for his delusions.
In her meaning-making of the intergenerational abuse from her father, I found it strange as a marriage and family therapist that she invoked the theories of Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy from his contextual family therapy, which is largely theoretical and known for being elitist and less accessible than other models, which is why one of his protégées, Terry Hargrave, created Restoration Therapy to be more clinically useful. I couldn't figure out, given her earlier reference to attachment, why she would bypass that more modern and empirically-validated theory for a clunkier, somewhat outdated one. Her father experienced an absence of secure attachment, which impacts view of self and trust of others, and didn't provide it for his children. Attachment affects everything and is shaped by ongoing experiences recursively.
While the author gives lip service to her "Mormon friends," there were many things in the book that felt designed to undermine the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For starters, she led out with a faulty assumption that people who joined the church while the LDS church was being organized were enamored of Joseph Smith, the founder, who was led to reorganize Christ's original church, since the churches had strayed from the original doctrine. Not a single written account of my multiple ancestors who joined the LDS church while Joseph Smith was alive mentions joining the church because of Joseph Smith. The "charismatic leader" argument is faulty. ALL of them were searching for a church that had not strayed from Christ's original church and were led to the newly organized LDS church specifically through their seeking to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. The author also has no explanation for why the church didn't die out after the "charismatic leader" was murdered in his early 30s, as with other religions started by charismatic leaders, but instead flourished and continues to grow internationally today.
I'm too tired to recount all of the carefully-worded manipulations, but, for example, she only included song titles she sang in the children's organization of the church that are exclusive to LDS doctrine, while conveniently leaving out titles related to Jesus Christ, even though those songs represent a greater proportion of LDS children's songs that are sung routinely. This seemed designed to make the church seem culty, probably because she has joined one of the Christian sects known for their disdain of Mormons and spreading misinformation about them (If I only had a dollar for all the times I was told I was going to hell by "Christians"). Maybe since her church attendance seemed spotty, she is genuinely ignorant of the emphasis on Jesus Christ CONSTANTLY in the LDS religion, but I doubt it, since her social media presence includes a post in the LDS conference center where the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performs routinely in church-sponsored interfaith events (for which the LDS church rarely if ever gets credit, despite being a church that is constantly trying to build bridges with other religions in their communities).
Sheffield seems like a smart, kindish person. I'm sorry that she suffered so much isolation, manipulation and abuse. Based on my experiences growing up in California around mostly non-Mormons, the LDS homes were consistently unique beacons of light in the dark, safer and kinder with engaged parents and no substance abuse. The other "Christian" households seemed hypocritical to me and since they believe they can just accept Christ as their Savior and then do whatever they want, there was no motivation to actually behave in Christlike ways, with few exceptions - they gave lip service to Christlike practices while ignoring them except when convenient or when garnering public attention. In my own home, my LDS father didn't raise his voice, never spanked me, never used a four-letter word and came home every night literally declaring, "Is everybody happy?" while hugging his children and my mom. I had one of the few households without divorce. I was also encouraged to get as much education as I could. That scenario is more congruent with an LDS household. In her home, it seems that the lovely doctrine of Christ was twisted into something dark and controlling, with a strange entitlement linked to a perceived special Mormon pioneer pedigree. This does not make you special and unique among members of the LDS church in Utah or anywhere else - famous Mormon pedigrees are a dime a dozen and meaningless when it comes to practicing church principles or position in the church.
There is no doubt that the author developed a cloak of self-importance. Her hubris is likely what led to her applying presentist arguments to cherry-picked resources to conclude that she knows better than over 12 million people that the LDS church is false. I guarantee that she found nothing in the basement of the Lee Library about the origins of the church that I didn't already know at age 10 in California, because when your "Christian," neighbors are attending Sunday school classes about how your religion is wrong, there is no avoiding these supposed deep dark secrets of LDS origins (because they aren't - the fact that she didn't know about them doesn't mean no one else did either). Evangelicals love to spring cherry-picked fun facts on LDS people hoping for a gotcha moment, a process which is decidedly un-Christian. The author was insulated and didn't know these things and at the time, the church didn't choose to lead out with this part of history - it doesn't mean they were hiding it. I have heard nothing in an anti-Mormon's argument that I haven't known since the 5th grade. However, I'm not surprised by her reactions to previously unknown information, because one gets the sense that she believes she possesses a special intellectualism that the rest of us don't, and seems to potentially struggle with theory of mind. She believes her magical journalism powers give her special access. They don't.
She also conveniently leaves out the church's efforts to rigorously train scholars in secular topics as part of an ongoing effort to expand historical and archaeological knowledge. She referenced the Smithsonian as one of the experts challenging any historical evidence for the Book of Mormon. We now know the Smithsonian has been withholding information incompatible with a narrative they want to promote for North American history. Items previously considered "anachronistic," in the Book of Mormon are increasingly being validated through ongoing archaeological discoveries. Science and evidence are only as good as the measurements, and it's mind-boggling how frequently people make definitive statements without acknowledging that there may be more we don't know, since science is always changing and new discoveries challenging flawed theories is omnipresent.
Her continual recitations about her academic accomplishments at her present age reveal that she must cling to this to prove her worth, even as she might want us to believe otherwise. The LDS church values secular education (as Amy Chua conveys in the book referenced by the author), and is full of people who could have gone to Harvard or any Ivy League school on scholarship. Prominent leaders in the Harvard business school were LDS, possibly concurrently with the author's attendance. Her prattling on about her awards seemed juvenile and tiresome. I laughed out loud when she used the word "histrionic," and then proceeded to explain to the reader that it means "dramatic." Uh, thanks for the definition, since no one apparently knows what that means. Firstly, if you have to define it, why use the word, and secondly, did you forget there's this thing called a dictionary that a surprisingly large number of your fellow citizens know how to use? Or Google?
It is true that LDS people have a strong emphasis on family. It's also true that there are likely more divorced LDS people worldwide than not divorced. Many LDS families don't fit the traditional model. I have divorced family members, including temple divorces going back to some of my original pioneer ancestors - this does not preclude people from progressing after they die or from experiencing family happiness - her explanation of this was limited, since we believe in an afterlife where we keep progressing. We also have one of the most compassionate views of the afterlife of any religion. We don't have large families to "try to get as many LDS spirits here as possible" or however she phrased it - that's a ridiculous thing to say when China doesn't even openly allow the LDS religion right now and has what, 1/5 of the world's population? We have large families because we believe that meaning and purpose come full-circle by teaching and applying Christ's principles in our families, and it's a vehicle for happiness, and provides stability. I have a PhD and a career, and it's meaningless compared to the growth and development achieved by being a mom.
She correctly identifies a cult as something that "you can't leave with your dignity intact." Anyone who says this about the LDS church is lying or has an excessively controlling family like Sheffield who are themselves a type of cult. Despite the fact that Christians have for years been diminishing the LDS church with that term, people in the LDS church are not coerced into staying, isolated, followed shunned, or anything of the like that happens in true cults. The church is too international to be isolationist. The cult argument is absurd for many other reasons, but has become a cheap, inaccurate mockery meant to diminish the true purpose of the LDS church, which is to lead people to Jesus Christ and teach members to follow Jesus' example, and ultimately reduce suffering in the world. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of the leaders for providing money, material resources and volunteer service in humanitarian efforts globally. Look it up. If I were going to count on FEMA or our church, it for sure would not be FEMA.
Sheffield includes outright falsehoods, including a statement about bishops being "matchmakers," (100% not true, and I've both been married to a Mormon bishop and the daughter of a twice Mormon bishop and Patriarch), and a blasphemous statement that LDS people don't believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ. It is true that they don't agree with the decision made by a bunch of self-appointed dudes at the Nicaean Council who arbitrarily decided that Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Ghost are a "trinity," but protestants get this absolutely wrong about the LDS church by constantly taking our view of Jesus as our divine older brother out of context. I get it - she doesn't believe that Joseph Smith had the experiences that he said he had - that's her prerogative, which actually makes little sense, since early on, he could have retracted his story and saved himself a lot of persecution, false imprisonment and ultimate martyrdom - which is what any charlatan would have done. Charlatans don't have the character to stand by their convictions and continue to testify, despite being hunted down and ultimately put on a government extermination list (which most people don't even know about LDS history in Missouri). Charlatans don't direct their flock to worship Jesus Christ - instead, Joseph Smith would have directed people to worship him, and despite what our Christian enemies constantly assert, he never directed people to worship him - it was always and will always be about Jesus Christ.
I'm glad she found a theology mixed with philosophy that works for her, but it's alarming what she doesn't seem to know about the church in which she was baptized. I'm 60 years old and so weary of the constant half truths and omissions perpetuated about our church, especially when people with spurious and limited engagement with our religion are viewed as the experts. By their fruits ye shall know them. Full stop. Also, the sheep will hear His voice. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will continue to grow despite the efforts of its enemies, as it always has.
The reason the LDS church has continued to grow isn't because they are organizationally or culturally savvy - it's because people who are seeking truth recognize it. This why one of our formerly Hindu friends explained that in India, when he decided to study Christianity and went to every church he could find, he ended up with the foundling, sparsely populated congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in New Delhi. It definitely wasn't one of the sparkly, materialistically progressive options.
Sheffield made an interesting comment that her grandfather served an LDS mission in the Southern States Mission, in which she essentially couldn't imagine success because of the area's strong Baptist roots. Well, my great-grandmother was a Baptist in the "Southern States Mission," in the late 1800s, and while praying for guidance to "live her life for Jesus," she was specifically divinely guided along with her husband, who was a minister, to the LDS missionaries. Even though her neighbors were calling Mormons "evil," and spreading lies and telling people to not listen to them, my great-grandparents recognized that the teachings more closely resembled Christ's original teachings. She also recognized specifically how temple covenants and rituals are part of the divine plan, with origins from the Old Testament, not something randomly made up as a faux Christian add-on, like the author suggests. Joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints changed their lives and I'm grateful for their choice, because it has provided more goodness in my life than anything else and has positively affected generations.
Maybe don't capitalize on the word "Mormon," when your life resembles almost nothing of the kind except in name only. It's gross.
March 25, 2024
This book was one that I received as a giveaway winner. There are some interesting view points expressed in the book and it does delve into some Mormon practices that I was wasn’t familiar with which was very interesting. I enjoy reading memoirs and hearing different religious perspectives although I do not subscribe to any religion myself. Overall as a memoir of a traumatic childhood I think that the book was a bit scattered and redundant. It seems to hit on the same things over and over in no real discernible order, jumping back and forth in time. The author is clearly a journalist, citing sources for every bible quote or inspirational quote used and it really takes away from the story in my opinion. I am glad that Carrie shared her story and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to receive a copy from the give away program, I think it could just use a little more work on the formatting and telling of the story as opposed to the citing of facts.
June 12, 2024
Meh.
The author recounts her childhood and upbringing at the hands of a mentally ill, religiously eccentric father, who believed himself to be a prophet and future president of the United States. It is sad that religion provides cover—nor intentionally in this case, though I’m seen instances where the cover is deliberate— for individuals like this who can operate on the fringes of the faith, believing themselves to be inline with or, as was the case here, more inline with God’s will than others, including leadership, and who can manipulate their family into accepting their delusions. I felt pity for the children in this family. Yet, the book was poorly executed and would have benefited from an editor and a few rewrites.
The author recounts her childhood and upbringing at the hands of a mentally ill, religiously eccentric father, who believed himself to be a prophet and future president of the United States. It is sad that religion provides cover—nor intentionally in this case, though I’m seen instances where the cover is deliberate— for individuals like this who can operate on the fringes of the faith, believing themselves to be inline with or, as was the case here, more inline with God’s will than others, including leadership, and who can manipulate their family into accepting their delusions. I felt pity for the children in this family. Yet, the book was poorly executed and would have benefited from an editor and a few rewrites.
July 13, 2024
DNF. I'm all about the "I Had Crazy Parents Yet I Survived And Here I Am" memoir genre, however when the author talks about how at one of the schools she went to she was the only girl who "didn't speak Ebonics" I close the book because THAT is the type of "crazy" I have no interest in. It's fantastic that the author capitalized the "E" in the word, but the fact that it was used at all says everything about the subjects of the book that I need to know.
Fun fact: Mormons didn't allow Blacks to join them until 1978. Go figure.
Fun fact: Mormons didn't allow Blacks to join them until 1978. Go figure.
June 21, 2024
I was expecting fiction, but was riveted by this true account of this Mormon girl, one of 11, who suffered neglect and abuse at the hands of her parents. When she finally escaped, she dealt with her own demons for a good twenty years, making almost every bad decision known to man. However, the Hound of Heaven was always there, gently wooing her, and eventually she found faith in Jesus to be the Rock she’d been looking for.
August 2, 2024
It was a hard read but I did enjoy the lesson.
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