What do you think?
Rate this book
Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery
A coming-of-age memoir that follows a large, working-class Irish family as it plunges into chaos in the wake of a terminal diagnosis—and the author's own hidden struggle to endure when her sister's disease becomes the dark star around which they all revolve.
Financial privation and her father’s drunken scenes formed the backdrop to Maura Casey's childhood, but her sister Ellen’s years-long struggle with kidney disease consumed her whole family. Determined to see Ellen live to adulthood, her mother fought medical advice to donate a kidney at a time when organ transplants were medical miracles. She concealed the true impact of that decision, which would affect the family for years to come.
Set in Buffalo amidst the tumult of the 1960s and 70s, Saving Ellen traces the author's recovery from alcoholism and sexual assault and tells of her irrepressible older sister Ellen, who fought to claim her dream of becoming an athlete; her smart, feminist mother, whose World War II Army service prepared her to manage her own platoon of six children; and her adulterous, alcoholic father who, at the end, was haunted by his shortcomings and regrets. Despite the hard truths of her childhood, Saving Ellen is ultimately a story of humor at unexpected moments as well as the grace of reconciliation and gratitude.
Saving Ellen will appeal to those who have endured the stress of caring for a chronically ill family member, with all the fraught choices that entails. Readers who have experienced the unique insanity of living in a large alcoholic family will recognize the mix of madness and humor that forms the foundation of daily life. Casey's story has parallels to Monica Wood’s When We Were the Kennedys, which details the struggle her family began when her father died of a heart attack, and Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle, with its tale of family dysfunction and siblings trying to help one another cope in a dilapidated house with an unstable father.
Financial privation and her father’s drunken scenes formed the backdrop to Maura Casey's childhood, but her sister Ellen’s years-long struggle with kidney disease consumed her whole family. Determined to see Ellen live to adulthood, her mother fought medical advice to donate a kidney at a time when organ transplants were medical miracles. She concealed the true impact of that decision, which would affect the family for years to come.
Set in Buffalo amidst the tumult of the 1960s and 70s, Saving Ellen traces the author's recovery from alcoholism and sexual assault and tells of her irrepressible older sister Ellen, who fought to claim her dream of becoming an athlete; her smart, feminist mother, whose World War II Army service prepared her to manage her own platoon of six children; and her adulterous, alcoholic father who, at the end, was haunted by his shortcomings and regrets. Despite the hard truths of her childhood, Saving Ellen is ultimately a story of humor at unexpected moments as well as the grace of reconciliation and gratitude.
Saving Ellen will appeal to those who have endured the stress of caring for a chronically ill family member, with all the fraught choices that entails. Readers who have experienced the unique insanity of living in a large alcoholic family will recognize the mix of madness and humor that forms the foundation of daily life. Casey's story has parallels to Monica Wood’s When We Were the Kennedys, which details the struggle her family began when her father died of a heart attack, and Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle, with its tale of family dysfunction and siblings trying to help one another cope in a dilapidated house with an unstable father.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
336 pages, Hardcover
Published April 1, 2025
6 people are currently reading
2131 people want to read
About the author
Maura Casey
1 book18 followersMaura Casey grew up the youngest of six in a Buffalo, NY, Irish family. She began writing at 12 , turning her passion into a 30+ journalism career, winning over 40 awards. Maura is a former editorial writer for The New York Times and three other newspapers. Currently she writes a weekly column on Substack with thousands of subscribers called Casey's Catch. Readers can contact her through her column or her website, www.CaseyInk. She is a gifted editor, writing coach and public speaker.
Maura used the diaries she wrote as a teenager to help write the book. She was surprised to see that they had pages of dialogue, her mother’s wit, scenes of her sister’s determination and her father’s alcoholism. From her diaries she fashioned a narrative arc that became “Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery.”
Maura lives on a small farm in Connecticut with her husband of 41 years, two golden retrievers and a cat who is Queen of the Barn. She has two adult children and two perfect granddaughters.
Maura used the diaries she wrote as a teenager to help write the book. She was surprised to see that they had pages of dialogue, her mother’s wit, scenes of her sister’s determination and her father’s alcoholism. From her diaries she fashioned a narrative arc that became “Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery.”
Maura lives on a small farm in Connecticut with her husband of 41 years, two golden retrievers and a cat who is Queen of the Barn. She has two adult children and two perfect granddaughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 1, 2025
I received a free digital ARC; this did not influence my review.
Saving Ellen is Maura Casey's memoir of growing up in a large, boisterous Irish Catholic family in Buffalo, New York, primarily in the 1960s and 70s. Casey's language is deceptively straight-forward, but incredibly illustrative all the same. In particular, her parents and sister Ellen jump off the page, as do many of the places in their lives. The memoir is even-handed, despite dealing with multiple traumas including alcoholism, assault, poverty, and illness, in a time when therapy was far from the norm (and not accessed by her family) - she never appears bitter, and there is so much love evident in these pages. I also have an interest in medicine and healthcare and it was fascinating to learn about the early forays with kidney disease treatments and transplants, which were still somewhat experimental in the 1960s. She explains the facts of Ellen's situation clearly - dialysis and the eventual need for a living kidney donor - without dwelling or losing sight of the family as a whole, and does so in a way that is never dry. My only complaint about the book is really a result of my liking it so much and feeling that the ending was rushed. Though I understood the focus of the memoir, I was still disappointed that so many decades of Casey's life were abbreviated at the end. All in all, though, this is a spectacular family memoir that I won't soon forget.
Saving Ellen is Maura Casey's memoir of growing up in a large, boisterous Irish Catholic family in Buffalo, New York, primarily in the 1960s and 70s. Casey's language is deceptively straight-forward, but incredibly illustrative all the same. In particular, her parents and sister Ellen jump off the page, as do many of the places in their lives. The memoir is even-handed, despite dealing with multiple traumas including alcoholism, assault, poverty, and illness, in a time when therapy was far from the norm (and not accessed by her family) - she never appears bitter, and there is so much love evident in these pages. I also have an interest in medicine and healthcare and it was fascinating to learn about the early forays with kidney disease treatments and transplants, which were still somewhat experimental in the 1960s. She explains the facts of Ellen's situation clearly - dialysis and the eventual need for a living kidney donor - without dwelling or losing sight of the family as a whole, and does so in a way that is never dry. My only complaint about the book is really a result of my liking it so much and feeling that the ending was rushed. Though I understood the focus of the memoir, I was still disappointed that so many decades of Casey's life were abbreviated at the end. All in all, though, this is a spectacular family memoir that I won't soon forget.
April 1, 2025
I was first drawn to this story because of the kidney transplant issue that Ellen goes through in the early 70's when the procedure was not that common. I had a classmate who had to have a transplant when we were in high school so this story spoke to me on that level. Saving Ellen is so much more then Ellen's medical struggles. It is a story of the entire family and the dysfunction that was their lives in the 60's and 70's.
The author does a great job telling the story of her family and all that they endured. This is a biographical memoir that reads like an expertly written fiction story. The words that flowed off of the pages kept me entranced and made me want to keep reading. The Casey family endured a lot, with ups and downs all over the place. Emotions ran high and pulled me in. And there are even surprising twists that complete the book in a satisfactory way.
The author does a great job telling the story of her family and all that they endured. This is a biographical memoir that reads like an expertly written fiction story. The words that flowed off of the pages kept me entranced and made me want to keep reading. The Casey family endured a lot, with ups and downs all over the place. Emotions ran high and pulled me in. And there are even surprising twists that complete the book in a satisfactory way.
April 4, 2025
There is something about tales of impoverished, large Irish families that always reminds me of Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes, and Saving Ellen is no exception. This memoir takes place in Buffalo, NY, itself a storied city of feast and famine, where the Casey family lived in The Projects before moving into a ramshackle house. An often absent philandering, alcoholic father leaves the care of his six children to a hard-working, hard-pressed mother, among them Ellen, terminally ill with kidney disease. Maura Casey writes with honesty and truth, from journals she kept from childhood. Saving Ellen is an inspiration to anyone fighting large and small battles - in other words, to us all.
September 24, 2025
I loved this book. Not only was it a poignant family saga, but it was also the story of Maura Casey's evolution as a writer. When Maura was an editorial writer for The New York Times, I loved seeing her byline on Editorial Observer columns (occasional personal commentary rather than the daily unsigned pieces produced by the editorial board). Having enjoyed her writing for years, I was delighted when I encountered her during an authors' panel at the Journalism & Women Symposium meeting in Washington, D.C. I bought the book that evening and began devouring it that night.
Her family's story isn't an easy one. Money troubles, cultural problems with alcohol, and unresponsive schools formed the backdrop for the central family crisis: the kidney disease that destroyed her sister Ellen's childhood and was cured only by their mother's insistence on donating a kidney, at a time when organ transplants were a rarity. Ultimately, it's a story of love transcending loss.
Her family's story isn't an easy one. Money troubles, cultural problems with alcohol, and unresponsive schools formed the backdrop for the central family crisis: the kidney disease that destroyed her sister Ellen's childhood and was cured only by their mother's insistence on donating a kidney, at a time when organ transplants were a rarity. Ultimately, it's a story of love transcending loss.
April 8, 2025
Maura Casey lets us into her messy childhood with the kind of candor, humor and emotional honesty that few of us could muster. We enter her life in this large, Irish family beset by illness, resentment and alcoholism through the vulnerable but savvy eyes of a child. We "grow up" with Maura through some harrowing years as a preteen, teen and young adult, rooting for her every step of the way. This is a book that will take up residence in your mind and your heart for a long time.
May 8, 2025
Beautifully written; full of humor, nostalgia and heart.
April 6, 2025
A real gem of a book.
May 2, 2025
This book really touched my heart. It is a very heartwarming true story about growing up in a large family with many challenges. Maura shares her emotions, feelings and her obstacles and I felt she connected with the audience in a very "authentic" way. In many ways it reminded me of my childhood so it was really touching to me personally.
April 23, 2025
This book made me realize how ‘messy’ all of our families really were back in the day - definitely not Leave it to Beaver! It was comforting to get an inside look into a family dynamic that I could relate to.
Casey charts a loving and honest course through her family’s difficulties that is eminently readable and engaging. I was struck by the undercurrent of love despite the trauma. Highly recommended!
Casey charts a loving and honest course through her family’s difficulties that is eminently readable and engaging. I was struck by the undercurrent of love despite the trauma. Highly recommended!
June 12, 2025
After reading about this book in a local magazine I could not wait to get my hands on it and it did not disappoint. Full disclosure - like the author, Maura Casey, I too am a Buffalonian who grew up in the same era as she did in the same general area. I am also from a large Irish Catholic family and was pretty sure I would find this book to be relatable.
Will get my only “wish” out of the way first - wish there had been pictures. There is one of Ellen, I would guess in her 20s,maybe 30s. I like pictures. They help me envision the people better. That’s it!
Casey writes in a direct, no nonsense style. She doesn’t glob her writing up with too many words trying to make things sound bigger, better, more impressive. She gets the reader to the point. She gets the reader to the heart of the matter ~ because that’s what matters!
Her chapters are short (sometimes a little too short, but generally, I as a reader, appreciate that). She moves you along as she introduces you to her family in all its glory and its dysfunction/hardships. Admittedly, she’s Irish -so she does what we Irish do - she focuses on the dysfunction, the shenanigans BUT the resilience. For me, resilience is the key.
It is Maura’s memoir, so I suppose she would be our protagonist. But the other two leading ladies are definitely her mom and her sister, Ellen. Ellen’s kidney disease is a main focus of the book, along with alcohol abuse and addiction, sexual assault, family dysfunction and without really addressing it - but clearly dancing around it - the highly held practice of “what happens in the home stays in the home” and the horrible effect that can have on family members.
Maura Casey is not a pontificator (she doesn’t use big words like pontificate! -haha -she probably does). But one thing I was really struck with as I finished the book which I think is really important and I hope people do not loose sight of, is that love always wins. Even though dysfunction was rampant for the Casey family, so was honest, true love. And in the end, their resilience and ability to forgive allowed love to be the winner.
Will get my only “wish” out of the way first - wish there had been pictures. There is one of Ellen, I would guess in her 20s,maybe 30s. I like pictures. They help me envision the people better. That’s it!
Casey writes in a direct, no nonsense style. She doesn’t glob her writing up with too many words trying to make things sound bigger, better, more impressive. She gets the reader to the point. She gets the reader to the heart of the matter ~ because that’s what matters!
Her chapters are short (sometimes a little too short, but generally, I as a reader, appreciate that). She moves you along as she introduces you to her family in all its glory and its dysfunction/hardships. Admittedly, she’s Irish -so she does what we Irish do - she focuses on the dysfunction, the shenanigans BUT the resilience. For me, resilience is the key.
It is Maura’s memoir, so I suppose she would be our protagonist. But the other two leading ladies are definitely her mom and her sister, Ellen. Ellen’s kidney disease is a main focus of the book, along with alcohol abuse and addiction, sexual assault, family dysfunction and without really addressing it - but clearly dancing around it - the highly held practice of “what happens in the home stays in the home” and the horrible effect that can have on family members.
Maura Casey is not a pontificator (she doesn’t use big words like pontificate! -haha -she probably does). But one thing I was really struck with as I finished the book which I think is really important and I hope people do not loose sight of, is that love always wins. Even though dysfunction was rampant for the Casey family, so was honest, true love. And in the end, their resilience and ability to forgive allowed love to be the winner.
June 27, 2025
I so enjoyed reading about my hometown and the Casey family. The author writing is very fluid and has just the right amount of description. As an Alanon member I was very interested in the parts of the book that relate to alcoholism and wonder if the author or her sister went to AA to get sober.
April 7, 2025
Saving Ellen is a memoir written by the author Maura Casey about her own life as she grows up in a heavily Irish working family in the 1960s and 70s in Buffalo, NY. The author's father is an alcoholic and there are many drunk scenes that transpire in this book. I had a friend in high school who dealt with this on a daily basis and I understand how it can be embarrassing and a bit nerve wracking sometimes. Maura's sister has a kidney disease and needs a kidney at one point, which Maura's mother does donate at that time to her daughter. The author takes the reader through a very emotional story in a child's voice and tells you how it impacted her growing up. Maura had a lot of things happen to her in her young life, bullying in school, a horrible rape, her sister's kidney disease, loosing her mother and sister in her older years, and drunken interactions with her father and also a lot more. This is a memoir that you must read and it will get you right in the feels!
April 13, 2025
From the very first page, I was captivated. I found myself completely immersed in Maura's words, unable to put the book down. It is exquisitely written—so heartfelt, so courageous, and deeply inspiring. It is a powerful tribute to Maura's sister, Ellen, her mother, and her entire family.
The story brought back a flood of memories for me—the places that were the backdrop of my own childhood. But this is not just for those who share the same geography. Saving Ellen is a universal story of love, loss, resilience, and the strength of sisterhood. Maura writes with such honesty and grace that it feels like she's speaking directly to the reader’s heart.
This book is a reminder of the fragility and beauty of life, and the ways we carry those we’ve lost forward with us. I will be thinking about Ellen—and Maura’s stunning tribute—for a long time. Highly recommended.
The story brought back a flood of memories for me—the places that were the backdrop of my own childhood. But this is not just for those who share the same geography. Saving Ellen is a universal story of love, loss, resilience, and the strength of sisterhood. Maura writes with such honesty and grace that it feels like she's speaking directly to the reader’s heart.
This book is a reminder of the fragility and beauty of life, and the ways we carry those we’ve lost forward with us. I will be thinking about Ellen—and Maura’s stunning tribute—for a long time. Highly recommended.
May 10, 2025
I purchased this hardcover book at an author reading at Bank Square Books. As I grew up in a large Irish Catholic family, I could relate to a lot. The author is the youngest in the family. I found myself wanting more information about the older siblings and had to remind myself that a memoir is not fiction and that would be their story to tell. lol
May 31, 2025
"Saving Ellen" is a must read & a fast read as well. It explores Maura Casey's family as they deal with Ellen's kidney problems in the 1960s - 70s. Surrounding this conflict, there are familial problems that would break most people but only bring out the best in Maura.
May 15, 2025
Wonderful memoir. Skilled and engaging writer takes you through her childhood, revealing broad truths through specificity. I don't usually read memoirs, but I certainly recommend this one!
April 20, 2025
Cette critique a été écrite dans le cadre des Critiques en avant-première de LibraryThing.
Maura Casey nous invite à explorer la vie de six enfants au cœur d'une Amérique de 1964, élevés par un père en proie à l'alcoolisme et une mère totalement à sa merci.
La biographie de cette famille s'inscrit dans le climat post Dépression des années 1930, et au travers d'une femme très engagée qui s'était enrôlée dans l'armée en quête d'aventures et de sens à sa vie, avant de devenir cette mère frappée dans ce qu'elle a de plus cher ; ses enfants.
Quand le diagnostic de néphrite tombe, c'est toute la fratrie et la mère qui s'écroule. Celle-ci n'aura de cesse de prier, et sauver sa fille par tous les moyens ; sa détermination exceptionnelle propulsera l'âme de la jeune Helen, malade dès ses 13 ans, vers une guérison pourtant des plus improbables. Les connaissances médicales en 1966 manquaient cruellement pour enrayer cette destruction rénale, mais, la dialyse et le thème de la transplantation d'organes lui permettront de vivre deux décennies de plus.
Une mère fantastique qui redonne la vie à sa fille, et dont la décision lui abrègera la sienne. Un poignant acte d'Amour ; une dédicace tragique consacré à sa mère et sa sœur Helen.
Le thème majeur de la transplantation nous exhorte dans l'intime, à reconsidérer les enjeux de ce don et de ce qu'il représente au-delà des enjeux financiers qu'il interpelle.
Reste à l'auteur, l'écriture pour graver à tout jamais le combat exemplaire d'une mère, que le don de son organe a permis d'accorder à sa fille, de vivre la trentaine.
Lisez le !
De cette cicatrice invisible transmise de mères en filles - le chagrin insoutenable du deuil - durant trois générations, naisse une reconnaissance et une inoubliable transmission des mères vers leurs filles, puis des filles devenues mères à leur tour, vers leur petite fille. Un roman éblouissant de vérités et d'une puissance inouïe ! Une confrontation à la mort hors du commun qui épouse l'enchantement de la transmission. Rare !
Maura Casey nous invite à explorer la vie de six enfants au cœur d'une Amérique de 1964, élevés par un père en proie à l'alcoolisme et une mère totalement à sa merci.
La biographie de cette famille s'inscrit dans le climat post Dépression des années 1930, et au travers d'une femme très engagée qui s'était enrôlée dans l'armée en quête d'aventures et de sens à sa vie, avant de devenir cette mère frappée dans ce qu'elle a de plus cher ; ses enfants.
Quand le diagnostic de néphrite tombe, c'est toute la fratrie et la mère qui s'écroule. Celle-ci n'aura de cesse de prier, et sauver sa fille par tous les moyens ; sa détermination exceptionnelle propulsera l'âme de la jeune Helen, malade dès ses 13 ans, vers une guérison pourtant des plus improbables. Les connaissances médicales en 1966 manquaient cruellement pour enrayer cette destruction rénale, mais, la dialyse et le thème de la transplantation d'organes lui permettront de vivre deux décennies de plus.
Une mère fantastique qui redonne la vie à sa fille, et dont la décision lui abrègera la sienne. Un poignant acte d'Amour ; une dédicace tragique consacré à sa mère et sa sœur Helen.
Le thème majeur de la transplantation nous exhorte dans l'intime, à reconsidérer les enjeux de ce don et de ce qu'il représente au-delà des enjeux financiers qu'il interpelle.
Reste à l'auteur, l'écriture pour graver à tout jamais le combat exemplaire d'une mère, que le don de son organe a permis d'accorder à sa fille, de vivre la trentaine.
Lisez le !
De cette cicatrice invisible transmise de mères en filles - le chagrin insoutenable du deuil - durant trois générations, naisse une reconnaissance et une inoubliable transmission des mères vers leurs filles, puis des filles devenues mères à leur tour, vers leur petite fille. Un roman éblouissant de vérités et d'une puissance inouïe ! Une confrontation à la mort hors du commun qui épouse l'enchantement de la transmission. Rare !
March 16, 2025
I just finished this book and it left a mark.
Growing up in a home with adultery, rape, illness, addiction and poverty, Casey's story touched me and reminded me that there is strength in survival. It meant something to me to have her tell her story in her child voice, with it's honesty and innocence. You could feel her strength in her struggling through life with an ailing sibling, an alcoholic parent, being bullied through school, and the rape; then her journey into adulthood and loosing her sister and mom.
There was the unwavering and sacrificial love of her mother. Her mother was brave and selfless, literally giving up her life for her daughter through her kidney donation. Personally, I was proud of her mom's decision to use her inheritance for herself & children, purchasing the summer home, and finally to divorce and take care of herself. That was an extraordinary decision at that time, more so than now.
In the end, her father recognized how he'd let down his family, he took action to mend the wounds. Casey was honest about that process and how it helped heal her heart.
Casey did a wonderful job telling her story and I would definitely recommend taking the time to read it.
Growing up in a home with adultery, rape, illness, addiction and poverty, Casey's story touched me and reminded me that there is strength in survival. It meant something to me to have her tell her story in her child voice, with it's honesty and innocence. You could feel her strength in her struggling through life with an ailing sibling, an alcoholic parent, being bullied through school, and the rape; then her journey into adulthood and loosing her sister and mom.
There was the unwavering and sacrificial love of her mother. Her mother was brave and selfless, literally giving up her life for her daughter through her kidney donation. Personally, I was proud of her mom's decision to use her inheritance for herself & children, purchasing the summer home, and finally to divorce and take care of herself. That was an extraordinary decision at that time, more so than now.
In the end, her father recognized how he'd let down his family, he took action to mend the wounds. Casey was honest about that process and how it helped heal her heart.
Casey did a wonderful job telling her story and I would definitely recommend taking the time to read it.
June 17, 2025
A profound story of family, loss and the power of love
Saving Ellen is a fast-moving, richly detailed, beautifully told story of the challenges, struggles, fears, tensions, poverty, and alcoholism that shaped the author, her parents, and her five siblings throughout the latter’s youth. Rather than giving up to despair and defeat, through a fierce, unbreakable love, particularly on behalf of the mother for her children, enabled the mother and children, and eventually the father, to thrive.
As if noted challenges were not enough, the threat of an early death that faced Ellen from age twelve, would have been enough to destroy most families. Ellen’s kidneys were failing. Kidney transplants in 1968 were new and dangerous. Ellen, was adored by her two-years younger sister, Maura. Ellen’s illness sent Maura into a depression. Showing the ultimate love, the mother insisted on providing one of her kidney’s to her ill daughter. This even against the doctor’s warning that in doing so, with her heart murmer she would face an early death.
In its honesty, in its detail, in its theme of mourning loss, in the power of its writing, this book reminds me of Joan Didion’s “The Year of Magical Thinking.”
Saving Ellen is a fast-moving, richly detailed, beautifully told story of the challenges, struggles, fears, tensions, poverty, and alcoholism that shaped the author, her parents, and her five siblings throughout the latter’s youth. Rather than giving up to despair and defeat, through a fierce, unbreakable love, particularly on behalf of the mother for her children, enabled the mother and children, and eventually the father, to thrive.
As if noted challenges were not enough, the threat of an early death that faced Ellen from age twelve, would have been enough to destroy most families. Ellen’s kidneys were failing. Kidney transplants in 1968 were new and dangerous. Ellen, was adored by her two-years younger sister, Maura. Ellen’s illness sent Maura into a depression. Showing the ultimate love, the mother insisted on providing one of her kidney’s to her ill daughter. This even against the doctor’s warning that in doing so, with her heart murmer she would face an early death.
In its honesty, in its detail, in its theme of mourning loss, in the power of its writing, this book reminds me of Joan Didion’s “The Year of Magical Thinking.”
April 21, 2025
This is a memoir about a large family and the challenges they faced growing up in Buffalo. Maura’s writing is very readable, which allowed me to fully grasp the magnitude and impact of her words even if they weren’t very descriptive. The book deals with family dysfunction, addiction, and a family’s journey dealing with a family’ member’s chronic illness. I could feel the love the author has for her sister, Ellen, and for her mother throughout this entire book. The part that felt unfinished for me was the ending. It felt as though the author made a big time jump and just tried to fit the rest of her life into three chapters. I wished it would’ve included a longer description of her family now and how her family influenced the way she raised hers. Thank you to the author and BFF for my advanced copy!
October 18, 2025
In her memoir, Maura Casey invites us into her childhood and shares the experiences that shaped her development and growth into a successful journalist. While sharing the story of her sister's health journey, we learn what it was like to grow up in a working class large family in Buffalo as a female in the 1960s.
Maura's memoir is beautifully written, and she brings you right into her home and family. I admire the strength and courage it must have taken to share her most painful, private and vulnerable moments with the world. To know Maura as an adult, we know she's an intelligent, strong and successful woman. In reading this book, you will learn about the struggles faced in childhood and adolescence that she overcame to become who she is today. It's truly a "memoir of hope and recovery".
I am rating this 5/5 stars.
Maura's memoir is beautifully written, and she brings you right into her home and family. I admire the strength and courage it must have taken to share her most painful, private and vulnerable moments with the world. To know Maura as an adult, we know she's an intelligent, strong and successful woman. In reading this book, you will learn about the struggles faced in childhood and adolescence that she overcame to become who she is today. It's truly a "memoir of hope and recovery".
I am rating this 5/5 stars.
November 14, 2025
I waited too long to start reading this book. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.
Maura, I had known bits of this story, but it's relevance blew me away. We have so many similar paths.
Your family stories resonated as I saw the Irish Catholic family I knew with my first husband. Poverty was an accepted way of life. But the family stayed together.
Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Kenmore. Familiar because I lived in that area in 1950s and my mother didn't drive either. Life was so different, it was before television.
Kidney disease, early transplants, those were unknown medical procedures in the early 1960s. I knew people who did dialysis regularly. I transported some to their treatments
Alcoholism was throughout. It's damages don't leave but in the end there was hope.
Thank you Maura for sharing your story. Thank you, friend.
Maura, I had known bits of this story, but it's relevance blew me away. We have so many similar paths.
Your family stories resonated as I saw the Irish Catholic family I knew with my first husband. Poverty was an accepted way of life. But the family stayed together.
Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Kenmore. Familiar because I lived in that area in 1950s and my mother didn't drive either. Life was so different, it was before television.
Kidney disease, early transplants, those were unknown medical procedures in the early 1960s. I knew people who did dialysis regularly. I transported some to their treatments
Alcoholism was throughout. It's damages don't leave but in the end there was hope.
Thank you Maura for sharing your story. Thank you, friend.
August 19, 2025
This is a beautifully crafted memoir. It's a story of growing up in a deeply complex family and finding a path into her own empowered life. The author beautifully narrates her experiences with her family, especially her sister Ellen who lives with a life-threatening illness, and her parents complicated relationship. The family's sense of duty and loyalty to one another is profound. The writing beautifully weaves in the local culture, school experiences, and the generosity of neighbors, which are formative. The emotions are tender, raw, honest, and ultimately convey love forgiveness. There is great humor sprinkled throughout. It is a joy to read!
April 18, 2025
Saving Ellen A Memoir of Hope and Recovery by Maura Casey is an awesome book - one that I read in one day. The story of the Casey family was so moving and inspiring. As a family the Caseys faced unimaginable challenges. I was so moved by their determination and resilience as they dealt with alcoholism, financial woes, devastating health issues and infidelity. In the end if I had to describe the Caseys I would simply say as a family they handled everything with great humor and enduring love. Don’t miss the opportunity to take an unbelievable ride with the Casey family.
Peggy Beardsley
Peggy Beardsley
October 30, 2025
From the moment we meet our feisty protagonist, you won't want to put this book down. A young girl introduces us to her family. We read of the family struggles against the backdrop of a Buffalo New York of a bygone era. In the face of a child's life threatening illness a mother's indomitable grace and spirit is captured, alongside a father's drinking and despair in a time when kidney transplants were rare, and rarely successful. By the end of this book this family will capture your heart.
September 25, 2025
One of the most captivating books I’ve read this year! I could have read it all in one sitting if I wasn’t a weirdo that likes to pace myself with excellent books.
November 2, 2025
This book was superb! If you enjoy memoirs, I highly recommend this one.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews