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On Fire: A Memoir
A heartbreaking and sometimes darkly humorous mother-daughter, coming-of-age tale written with gritty authenticity by author and award-winning journalist Stephanie West. In this cohesive collection of provocative stories, West details the precarious journey of raising her daughter while going through a quarter-life crisis of her own. She writes intimately about their mother-daughter relationship and how it, and Savannah's belief in her, kept her going every day despite their brush with homelessness, an attempted sexual assault on West, and multiple career derailments including losing a job at a major sports league.
On Fire is a poignant and uplifting exploration of the mother-daughter relationship and how it's affected by weight, gender, mental health issues, and class inequities in the Midwest. West's sharp observations of the systemic way our culture marginalizes single mothers—and contrasting intimate stories of raising her daughter within that culture—makes it a must-read for mothers and fathers of daughters, and children of single mothers.
On Fire is a poignant and uplifting exploration of the mother-daughter relationship and how it's affected by weight, gender, mental health issues, and class inequities in the Midwest. West's sharp observations of the systemic way our culture marginalizes single mothers—and contrasting intimate stories of raising her daughter within that culture—makes it a must-read for mothers and fathers of daughters, and children of single mothers.
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About the author
Steph West
7 books16 followersAward-winning author and former Gannett/USA Today and Fox Sports Ohio journalist Steph West creates genre-bending stories from action-adventure and fantasy to sports and romance. The through-line in all her creations is a dedication to featuring three-dimensional characters of all shapes, sizes, and professions. West strives to inspire and empower others through her stories AND the creation process of those stories. She has a long history of award-winning storytelling including two Silver Telly awards and an Emmy (regional) nomination. She began her career in traditional print media before transitioning to digital and video mediums, and landing in film and publishing. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and will graduate from law school in 2027.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 20, 2024
Covers Some Tough Subjects
I'd not heard of this author before buying this book. I'd read her other works if that tells you anything. She definitely keeps it real and tackles a variety of subjects such as: society's obsession with physical beauty, how men expect women to behave in a certain way, some mens sense of entitlement when it comes to sex, the objectification of women , work vs life balance, parenthood, child abuse, dating as a single parent, weight issues and pay differentials in the workplace between men and women.
The book is interesting although a bit dry in spots. I always find it a brave thing when an author shares their experience with tough issues openly and honestly.
I'd not heard of this author before buying this book. I'd read her other works if that tells you anything. She definitely keeps it real and tackles a variety of subjects such as: society's obsession with physical beauty, how men expect women to behave in a certain way, some mens sense of entitlement when it comes to sex, the objectification of women , work vs life balance, parenthood, child abuse, dating as a single parent, weight issues and pay differentials in the workplace between men and women.
The book is interesting although a bit dry in spots. I always find it a brave thing when an author shares their experience with tough issues openly and honestly.
Displaying 1 of 1 review