Someplace Like Home

by Bobi Conn

A mother and daughter in Appalachia unpack the traumas of the past in a powerful and reflective novel about family, healing, and moving on by the author of A Woman in Time.

Jenny Caudill grows up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in a home that feels more like a trap. Shy, ignored by boys, and wearing her sisters’ hand-me-downs, Jenny spends her time lost in the promises of romantic pop songs and daydreaming in the back seat of her daddy’s junked Bel Air. There’s got to be more to life.

When she catches the eye of the older Rob Lewis, a dangerous relationship begins. Her mother’s warnings go ignored. After a brush with death and an impulsive marriage in Tennessee, Jenny becomes a mother herself. But her love story is far from the one she envisioned. Trading one trap for another darker one, she is stuck between trying to avoid her husband’s violent moods or taking an unknown risk by grabbing her children, running, and trying to find a way forward.

As Jenny’s daughter, Charlie, comes of age, she strives to understand the choices her mother made, to confront the traumas that shaped both their lives, and to overcome any limits the forces of the past have imposed.

Genres: Fiction, Southern, Audiobook, Family

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2024

About the author

Bobi Conn was born in Morehead, Kentucky, and raised in a nearby holler, where she developed a deep connection with the land and her Appalachian roots. She obtained her bachelor's degree at Berea College, the first school in the American South to integrate racially and to teach men and women in the same classrooms. After struggling as a single mother, she worked multiple part-time jobs at once to support her son and to attend graduate school, where she earned a master's degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing. In addition to writing, Bobi loves playing pool, cooking, being in the woods, attempting to grow a garden, and spending time with her incredible children.

Reviews

[Sue Oshin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a fictionalized version of author’s mother’s life and the timeline reaches back even before her mom was born. These characters have their own characters and motives, and they let the author stitch together a narrative to make sense of her mother’s stories and memories.

This book got 3 part; first part a Jenny’s life since she was a kid. 2nd part when she got married to Rob and have their small family. And the last part the POV’s from Charlie (Jenny’s daughter who told (re-telling)this story when her mom was being abused with her father, Rob and how terrible her life was when she was a kid.

Its a 5⭐️ read and must read book for those who is seeking a happiness in life, for those who was being betrayed and abused in unhealthy’s marriage life. Surely, our parents must have told us to be aware with a guy who seem bad and give hints that he treat us badly but because the name of love, we disobeyed the red-flag given and hoping that men will change after that. Its a fairy-tales imagination. The truth is, ‘its a bed we make and we must lay in there’ no matter what happened.

[chel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart-wrenching fictionalized memoir of a girl, then a woman who can only dreams for a real "home". This is a fictionalized version of the author's mother's life, which makes it more painful and more agonizing to read because all events in this book more or less happened.

Author immerses us in the history of her family's lives, their tragedy, destructive environments, how she endured all while growing and all intertwined into gut wrenching story, that you could possibly wish to go back in time and talk to young Jenny and be there for her.

And this was like a slap to humanity that an abusive relationship is in fact a really harmful situation that sadly the victims are profoundly hard to get out of it or worse,  doesn't realize they actually living it. This book is like a hug in text form, a medium for every victim around the world to be listened, at least sufficiently, it might not be easy, you can fight through this, you're strong, you're worthy, you're more than enough.

When I'm in the middle of reading this, I remember my father once told me, "Never ever expect someone, especially in your case, a man, who you want to be married with, and expect him to change to be better after marriage. No, never. Because it's bullshit. You can't put your expectations in human. If he wants to be better, then he'd done it now."

Maybe I'd like it better if there's more interaction between Jenny's Papa, Charlie, and his children.

If you're a first timer of lit fic, and you wanna try, don't be afraid because the writing is comprehensible even if english isn't your first language.

Please check trigger warnings!

Thank you NetGalley, Little A, and Bobi Conn, for providing me this ARC.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did! Highly recommend if you live or are from KY.

[Marzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved Bobi Conn’s writing since I read her searing memoir “In the Shadow of the Valley,” which largely tells the story of escaping generational cycles of abuse in the Appalachias. (Forget about Hillbilly Elegy- read “In the Shadow of the Valley” instead then tell me what you think about the idea that women should stay in violent marriages.) Her novel that followed her memoir, “A Woman in Time,” was set in the era of her beloved grandmother’s family. The present novel, “Someplace Like Home,” is inspired by her mother and the origin stories of Conn’s family. The reader empathizes with the central character Jenny, and her children Charlie and Billy, who have to grapple with the domestic abuse they endure and the substance abuse of their father. Conn continues to bring her readers insights into generational trauma and how some women are able to break that cycle and she offers the hope of healing.

“We can be better. We can do for the next generations what we needed done for ourselves. We start by telling a better story.”

TW: Descriptions of very real physical violence. It’s not vague or sugar-coated. Vivid descriptions of substance abuse and addiction’s effects on the family of the addict.

You can hear her discussion of this book on the podcast “Now, Appalachia.” https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ARV...

You can also read her pointed essay about the bootstrapping perspective and how it fails to serve the needs of those struggling against steep odds in the Appalachia. https://time.com/7002807/jd-vance-boo...

[Stacey E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content Warnings:
- Loss of a child
- Domestic Abuse

I was immediately drawn into this book and devoured in a day. Although this story was traumatic and heartbreaking, the writing and storytelling wad so beautiful done. I felt the emotions of this book so intimately as my own mother was a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of my stepfather. Stories like this just hit different when you've lived it.
Thank you NetGalley and Little A for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

[Dachund_mom_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn into this book because the cover was absolutely beautiful!
The author lets you know when you first open the book that it’s somewhat based on her mother’s life.
The book follows Jenny Caudill living in foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It starts off with her life as a child up until her adult years. From a poor family to an abusive relationship(trigger warning) Most of the book it is through Jenny’s eyes but the last part is out of her grown daughter’s eyes looking back at her childhood.
This is a raw, full of emotion type of book. It does get a bit graphic, for people that aren’t into that. What a wonderful story of heartache, hard times and over coming the impossible. I would recommend it to anyone. Not only is it a beautiful cover but it’s a great read as well.

For anyone that is interested(I plan on reading it as well) this book was written after the author wrote a memoir about her life. The memoir is called In the Shadow of the Valley. Someplace Like Home is my first by Bobi Conn but I would love to read her memoir as well.

[Suzanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

In deceptively simple prose, Conn explores the intergenerational trauma of domestic violence, in this semi-autobiographical novel. Clearly, and at times almost clinically, told, this story was a challenge to read. Because of its brutal honesty. She holds up a mirror to the reader's own relationships, forcing us to take stock at our choices and our past. If you've stayed, left, or wonder why others have stayed, you should read this book.

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 5 out of 5]

via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒚.

While this novel is set in Appalachia, it is by no means rare to the rest of the world. Such violence happens in places of wealth and privilege too. When you feel small, invisible and someone pays attention to you, your world expands. It does not take much; little crumbs of love can melt a woman’s heart, even if it is tossed by a bad man. Jenny spent her childhood in her sisters’ hand-me-downs, sisters who often picked on her for being the youngest and laughed at by popular girls at school. Envious of her little brother who her parents go easier on, she wishes she had his luck, all that favor. Dodging her sisters’ anger, Jenny’s peace is found in the seat of a broken-down car, one of her father’s collection. No one can see her in this field of junk cars and Jenny is free to dream about Lassie, how different her life would be with such a helpful dog of her own. She grows up, and her dreams change, but no matter how hard she tries she will never be able to pull off looking as beautiful as singers like Olivia Newton John. She will always be the odd one out at school, the girl with ill-fitting, faded dresses who is shy. The boys do not notice her, but one day she will catch the attention of Rob Lewis, an older, reckless James Dean type, who her mother tells her is of no account.

Rob toys with her affections, never knowing if he is coming or going, she yearns for his love while also in fear of her feelings. Her dreams do not always match the reality of the guy before her eyes, but she ignores her gut instincts, believes that their love is special, and that Rob is misunderstood by others. In trying to escape the control of her mother, Jenny ends up under the grip of Rob’s violent, selfish nature. When they begin having children, his cruelty doesn’t ease up, and her girlish dreams of happiness and freedom have dried up. Jenny’s attempts to find comfort from her mother and sisters are met with, “we tried to warn you” and “you made your bed, lie in it.”

When she gains the strength to leave, she learns there is never a shortage of power struggles in new love too. Her daughter Charlie grows up trying to find grace in her father’s bullying, hoping to see the goodness that sometimes makes an appearance, but it only leads to a cycle of pain. Her mother’s decisions never improve, at least in men. With the clarity of maturity, she is at a loss to understand how her mother trapped herself in such a life, and why her father is damaged. Charlie is driven to shake off this broken inheritance of pain, believing that tragedy doesn’t have to be embraced and passed down to her own children. The story is an honest portrayal of people trapped by their circumstances, how financial struggle closes escape hatches tighter, and the ways abusers feed on fear. Jenny’s father was a good man, and it is interesting that people assume women are with abusers because it is what they know. It is about choices, and sometimes even guidance cannot save you from jumping into a bad situation. Bobi Conn absolutely nailed the emotional manipulation and how kindness and hope can keep a woman in a rotten situation. The author’s introduction should not be skipped as Bobi looked to her mother’s life for inspiration, a chance for her voice to be heard, which makes the story all the more moving. Perfect read for a book club and for mothers and daughters.

Published May 21, 2024

Little A

[Nora A · Rating 3 out of 5]

In "Someplace Like Home," Bobi Conn crafts a poignant and gritty narrative that captures the raw realities of life in the Appalachian Mountains. At the heart of the story is Jenny Caudill, a young girl whose dreams of a better life clash violently with the harshness of her upbringing and the choices she makes.

Jenny grows up in a home that feels more like a trap. A shy and often overlooked figure, she is lost in daydreams and the promises of romantic pop songs. Her existence seems bleak, confined to wearing her sisters’ hand-me-downs and escaping to the back seat of her father’s junked Bel Air. Conn vividly portrays Jenny’s desperation for a different life.

The narrative takes a darker turn when Jenny becomes involved with Rob Lewis, an older man whose interest in her leads to a dangerous and impulsive relationship. Ignoring her mother’s warnings, Jenny soon finds herself married and a mother, but the romantic future she envisioned quickly unravels. Instead of the escape she hoped for, Jenny trades one oppressive situation for another, this time marked by her husband’s violent moods.

Conn’s storytelling shines as she navigates Jenny’s internal struggle and the external challenges she faces. The author does not shy away from depicting the brutal reality of Jenny’s life, yet there is a thread of resilience that runs through the character, a determination to protect her children and find a way forward despite the odds.

As the story progresses, Jenny’s daughter, Charlie, comes of age, adding another layer of depth to the narrative. Charlie’s journey to understand her mother’s choices and confront the traumas that have shaped their lives is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Through Charlie, Conn explores themes of generational trauma and the enduring impact of the past on the present.

"Someplace Like Home" is a powerful exploration of the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity. Bobi Conn’s writing is evocative and unflinching, offering readers a window into a world that is often overlooked. This novel is not just a story about survival but also a testament to the strength of women who, despite their circumstances, fight to carve out a better future for themselves and their children.

For readers seeking a deeply emotional and thought-provoking read, "Someplace Like Home" is a compelling choice. Conn’s ability to capture the essence of her characters’ struggles and triumphs makes this novel a memorable and impactful experience.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someplace Like Home by Bobi Conn is a highly recommended domestic drama set in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky. It is a powerful fictionalized account of the lives of Conn's grandmother and mother and is about abusive relationships in isolated environments.

Jenny Caudill grew up in a strict home where her parents, especially her mother, laid down the law. Her parents had worked hard to stretch every dollar for a home and garage/barn where her father worked on cars for a living. As the youngest of four sisters, with one younger brother, she wore hand-me-downs. Everyone was expected to follow the rules and be home before dark. Jenny was ignored by boys until Rob Lewis laid eyes on her and began coming to her house and paying attention to her. Ignoring her mother's harsh warnings, Jenny continues to see Rob which results in a marriage of violence and substance abuse.

The narrative is divided into three sections. Part one is Jenny's childhood, part two is after Jenny and Rob are married, and the final part is from the point-of-view of Charlie, Jenny's daughter. The majority of the story is through Jenny's point-of-view and she is a sympathetic character. It should be noted that there are very descriptive scenes of control and abuse. It will be difficult for many to understand the all-too-real dilemma of why family didn't step forward to help her and the hopelessness of why she put up with the violence once she had children to protect.

The writing is excellent and Conn does a great job capturing the time, place, and setting. She depicts the lack of real choices and opportunities available in the area which left many open to abuse, trauma, addiction, and despondency. It would have been satisfying if more emotional healing from all of their trauma was covered. This would be a great book club choice, especially for the discussions on the role of location, limited choices, and isolation in circumstances of trauma and abuse. Thanks to Little A for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/0...

[Jayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fictionalized retelling of the author's mother's life. Jenny was the fourth of five children and grew up in a small Kentucky town. She often felt invisible- her younger brother received a lot of attention being the only boy, but she was also the youngest girl. She had the least amount of time before her parents doted on the boy. It wasn't a terrible childhood- her mother was very strict and somewhat of an alcoholic. Her father was kind, but ran a business and was always busy. She didn't get a lot of attention or affection, but she was safe and fed. Then, as a young teenager, she attracts the attention of Rob, an older high school drop out. For years Rob strings her along and Jenny is just so happy that someone gives her attention- even if it is pretty rare and she has to tiptoe around his moods. They eventually marry and then the real struggles begin. Rob is abusive and controlling. Like most battered women, escaping seems impossible.

I am going to start with the audio, as it did impact my overall feelings about the book. Shannon McManus and does a great job. However, I wish a different narrator had been used for part three, when we switch to Charlie's POV. I had a hard time with the transition in POVs, as we had only Jenny's until that point. Having the same voice narrating it to me caused me to have to remind myself that Charlie was narrating. I will say- some of this may have been my own frame of mind. I stayed up late to finish as today is publication day. I also had been suffering from a headache all day. I just think it would have been better had a different narrator been used. I always prefer each POV has their own narrator.

As for the story, it is heartbreaking. Part one because you have this sense of foreboding. You know what is coming and you want Jenny to make different choices. Part two is so hard to read. But the author did a great job of being inside of Jenny's mind. Part three was my least favorite. As previously mentioned, I had a hard time staying focused. I didn't connect with it as well.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Caudill grew up in Kentucky, near the foothills of the magnificent Appalachian Mountains. Her father was a mechanic who fixed cars in a building beside their home while her mother cooked, cleaned and raised four children struggling to stretch every dollar. Her mother was as tough and strict as she had to be to keep the children in line and away from the dangers so easily found in a small town on the outskirts of society. Without a lot of options the teenagers tend to do a lot of smoking, drinking and fighting. Jenny’s mother demanded her children to be respectful, independent and home before dark. But without opportunities for advanced schooling after high school, jobs were scarce and they all wound up at the local factory, bored and mistreated while they stitched zippers into jeans. They didn’t know from much more than that but Jenny was itchy for independence and love. Jenny fell for the first guy who paid her any attention. Rob Lewis was an older boy who dropped out of school and was a handful of trouble. Everyone warned her but once he was set on courting Jenny she transitioned from her mother’s rules to a prison of Rob’s making. He drank, excessively took pain pills and fought with everybody. With no education and a dead end job Rob found his power by lording over Jenny and their children. Living deep in the holler Jenny was suffocating from Rob’s violent mood swings and constant abuse and needed to find a way out before someone got killed. Loosely based on her mother’s life, this author pulled on all my heartstrings. The writing flowed beautifully in this quiet story about family, motherhood and learning to protect yourself. There is much to discuss and this would be a great book club pick!

[Shannon Beasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quote: "A long history of sorrow led to my birth."

Someplace Like Home by Bobbi Conn is a fictionalized version of her mother's life. It is broken up into books.

In Book One, we are introduced to the Caudill Family - Charles, Helen, and their five children Gail, Barbara, Mary, Jenny and William (Billy). We get to see an overview of what it was like to be a Caudill growing up in Kentucky.

Quote: "So much depends on what you choose next."

In Book Two, we focus on Jenny. Jenny represents the author's mom. WHEW!!! Some of Jenny's life was very hard to read. I am not going to say much because you need to read it and feel all the feels for yourself.

Quote: "A parent's legacy is established pretty early in their children's lives."

In Book Three, we get to focus on Charlie. Charlie is Jenny's daughter. Again, I'm not going to say much. However, I will say that Charlie lived through seeing some awful things done to her mom.

I was drawn into Someplace Like Home immediately from the beginning. It is very well written, and I felt as if I was part of the family. It made me smile at times and boy; did it make me extremely anger at other times. If you want to get immersed into a book where you are going to feel all the things, I recommend Someplace Like Home. I will warn you, you will have feelings.

Quote: "We aren't bound to the past, powerful as it is."

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Someplace Like Home.

Content warnings: Domestic Abuse, Drug Abuse, Child Loss

[Louis A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a book that begs to be read by the people ĺiving in the faltering culture of Appalachia. The enduring cycle of familial abuse, drug and alcohol dependence, and living off government disability programs or workers comp has inhibited a once proud and industrious population from succeeding in life, not to mention the tearing apart of their families.

This story is very well told and evokes sympathy for its main character. It also becomes exasperating when the reader keeps wondering why on earth did she stick around with a terrible abuser for so long. She provides her own reasons, but they are really excuses. She realizes what's happening to her isn't right, and her man isn't honorable, but she stays with him anyway in futile hope of better times. She finally finds the backbone to divorce him after she reads a popular book on abusive marriage in which she identifies. The cycle gets broken with her daughter's apparently happy marriage.

The dialogue of the characters seems to be on point with the dialect of eastern Kentucky. The author grew up there, and she has a very good ear for how they speak - simply and to the point with some native euphimisms. She thankfully avoids causing the characters to speak like Lil' Abner and Daisy Mae.

Overall, a really good and eye-opening read that I hope will be instructive as much as enjoyable for people anywhere suffering from physical and mental abuse. Five stars!

[Dorothy Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someplace Like Home by Bobi Conn is a difficult read that leads readers to a hopeful conclusion. Loosely based on Conn’s own mother’s marriage and life, Someplace Like Home gives readers a story into Jenny’s childhood, her marriage, and her children.

Jenny dreams of more -- more than she has in her Appalachian home. She feels ignored so she loses herself in dreams and romantic songs. Her romantic notions lead her to an early marriage with Rob who turns out to be controlling and abusive.

Conn does not shy away from the hard truths. Jenny marries young thinking she has found the man of her dreams only to find those dreams turn to nightmares. The trauma affects her children as well.
Charlie, Jenny’s daughter, slowly comes to understand her mother’s plight. That gives Charlie a chance to break the cycle and find a better life.

In choosing the title, Someplace Like Home, Conn gives readers a hint about the story. At first, Jenny feels she has left her old life behind for a new one. Then she discovers her husband is violent, and she has to protect herself and her children. The word home is indicative of protection, safety, and love. Sadly, that is not what Jenny finds in her marriage.

For book club members, Someplace Like Home will prompt a discussion of domestic violence, marriage, raising children, poverty, and lack of education. It will also give readers hope – hope for a future that does not include violence and imminent danger in the home.

[Margie Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someplace Like Home by author Bobi Conn is a very sad but eye-opening read about a family in turmoil. It goes on to depict what the authors mother’s life was like and how they all dealt with living in a home with domestic abuse. Jenny, the mother, wasn’t happy growing up at home with her parents. Although her Dad seemed nice, her mother always seemed strick and not overly loving. Because of this, Jenny rushed into marriage to a very abusive man at a very young age. She miscarries her first pregnancy but then goes on to have 2 children. This story tells about what life was like for Jenny and her 2 kids and all the trauma and abuse they go through and have to witness. It was a very sad story to read but one that I had a hard time setting down. I think it made me realize just how awful some people really have it and that my life, although some parts weren’t great, for the most part I have lived a blessed and fortunate life. This is a story I would recommend that all women read either to give them hope or just to make them appreciate the lives they have. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc to read and review. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I will be sure to read any and all of her future stories. I’m giving this a well deserved 5 star rating.

[CrazyCat (Alex) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up 'Someplace Like Home' by Bobi Conn because of its stunning cover, and I'm so glad I did. The author opens with a note that the story is loosely based on her mother’s life, adding an extra layer of depth to the narrative.
The book follows Jenny Caudill, growing up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It starts with her childhood and takes us through her tumultuous adult years, marked by poverty and an abusive relationship (trigger warning). Most of the story is seen through Jenny’s eyes, but the last part shifts to her grown daughter’s perspective, reflecting on her own childhood.
This book is raw and full of emotion. It can get graphic at times, which might not be for everyone, but it’s a powerful tale of heartache, hard times, and overcoming the impossible. 'Someplace Like Home' is not just a beautiful cover; it's a beautiful story that I would recommend to anyone. It’s a moving read that stays with you long after you’ve finished it
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing!

[Liz Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I was emotionally prepared for the beating my heart would take while reading this book. This is a fictionalized account of the author's mother's and grandmother's lives. Set in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky, we get a glimpse of the hardships, strength and resilience of people, specifically women. I loved the fact that despite, or because of, their circumstances these women tackle generation trauma head on and are brave enough to end the cycles of abuse and neglect. The audiobook narration was so well done! Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Debbie Leathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read! All about abuse on all different levels - and I lived so much of it! I had a Father and a Mother who whipped us and spanked us BUT we knew it was in love to make us responsible people. And then I married at 17 right out of
High School to a man who was verbally abuse, wouldn’t even hold his children let alone help me with them at all when they were little, wouldn’t hold down a job. It took me 19 years to walk away from that marriage! But I still see so much hurt in my children from the oldest Son being totally allienated to his father and my daughter separating herself from me! I lived this story!

[Casey Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someplace Like Home by Bobi Conn is a fictional story based on her mother’s childhood and adult life. * Trigger warning, there is domestic violence that takes place in the story line. I still enjoyed reading Jenny’s story even though those part may be hard to read or hear about, you really dive deep into Jenny’s thoughts throughout her childhood and young adult life. What goes on in the mind of one’s thoughts… he or she may only know.

** Thank you NetGalley, Little A, and Bobi Conn for an eARC of Someplace Like Home.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not get into this book even though I made it 60% of the way through. It’s a story of a woman going through traumatic/abusive relationships. But the issue for me was that it was told in a very matter of fact manner. This happened then that happened. Not much “color” to it or explorations of themes, detailed descriptions, etc. I imagine it was therapeutic for the author to write, but as an entertaining or emotion provoking read it didn’t do anything for me. I just didn’t care about any of the characters and eventually had to bail for those reasons.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tough read in many ways but it's beautifully written. Conn has fictionalized the story of her family- of Jenny and Rob and then of their daughter Charlie. Jenny's childhood was stark. Rob seemed wonderful until he wasn't. Know that there are some graphic scenes of abuse. While Jenny tells most of the story, Charlie's the one who reframes things for her own life. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

[Priscilla A Finkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! What a Story!!

How sad that Jenny didn't have family support from the beginning. Maybe if her mother had not punished Jenny for her poor choice of a husband, things would have been different! I think that Jenny had such low esteem of herself from not getting the love she craved as a child. She, in her mind, did not deserve any better when she jumped into marriage with the first male that looked her way and suffered through the consequences for most of her life.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very difficult story, but one that really needs to be told. It tells the story of Jenny, who goes through a lot of trauma and abuse and her 2 kids that witness it all.

The narrative is divided into three sections:

-Part one is Jenny's childhood.
-Part two is after Jenny and Rob are married and have children.
-Part three is from the point-of-view of Charlie, Jenny's daughter.

Thank you, Little A for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Net Galley.

[Summer Bendle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was a well written book. As someone who has never been in an abusive relationship, this was definitely eye opening. The descriptive way this was written made you connect with the main character and feel her pain. This books shows that the need to feel loved sometimes puts you in dangerous situations. This book tugged at my heartstrings.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this book. It had a lot of emotional elements that were moving, heartbreaking and profound. Although the writing was fine, the story was fairly predictable. Would I read this author again? Sure, I was just not interested in this particular plot. This book however might touch other readers and deserve their attention.

[Marissa Hux · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictionalized story about the authors mother. This book was beautifully written into three parts. Lots of hard, real life moments throughout - grief, loss of a child, domestic abuse, just to name a few. Parts were so gutting to read. The audio kept me enraptured and I listened to it in one sitting. You could feel the real and raw emotion. Such a deep and thought provoking read!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story shows of hardship, figuring out the world at times alone, and of resilience. Where we come from often can lead to how we turn out, but often our choices can change our course. It can take one moment for a mother to realize that we have made enough choices on our own, and decide to help again. Even later in life parents need to still adapt, and be a lifeline to allow children to see where they may have made mistakes. There were often parts that were detailed where I felt like I was in the story but the bigger moments such as the crash or even the abusive relationship I thought could have had greater details in order to understand it better.

[Morgan Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for any Kentuckian or anyone who has experienced Appalachia. It often feels disjointed and messy, but that is the life of the character. Often hard to read and left me exhausted, but in a way that allowed me to empathize with Jenny and her choices.

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was well written, but there was nothing original about the story. It goes exactly, depressingly, how you think it will, and I was ready to move on. I don’t think I’ve read one book that takes place in the Appalachian area that wasn’t dead depressing, and I think this will be the last.