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Reckless: A Memoir
Why would a middle class white woman fall in love with a convicted felon from Harlem?
“Reckless” is the story of her addiction to danger and the journey she took to reclaim her heart, mind and soul.
“Reckless” is the story of her addiction to danger and the journey she took to reclaim her heart, mind and soul.
- GenresNonfiction
214 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Allard
2 books2 followersRebecca Allard is the author of Reckless: A Memoir, the story of her addiction to danger. From 1971 to 1981 her career focused on acting in New York City. She then joined a Fortune 500 accounting and auditing company and rose to the position of director of technology implementation.
Rebecca retired in 2000 to focus on her writing and was privileged to study with Vivian Gornick and Linsey Abrams. In 2003, she joined Lehman Brothers where she served as senior administrator on the global equity syndicate desk through the collapse in 2008. Rebecca is currently working on her second memoir about her five years at Lehman.
Rebecca retired in 2000 to focus on her writing and was privileged to study with Vivian Gornick and Linsey Abrams. In 2003, she joined Lehman Brothers where she served as senior administrator on the global equity syndicate desk through the collapse in 2008. Rebecca is currently working on her second memoir about her five years at Lehman.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 6, 2014
(Originally reviewed for Readers' Favorites)
Reckless: A Memoir by Rebecca Allard is not your every day memoir. This is not one of those books that makes a reader wonder when the book will get interesting; this book grabs the readers attention in just a few pages and the suspense does not let up until the end.
Rebecca met Al in 1975, and felt an immediate attraction to him, despite being a newlywed. As she is making her way through auditions and acting gigs to create a career for herself, the shadow of Al follows her around until she finally lets him into her life. There are many obstacles facing Rebecca and Al. Not only is she married with her own demons to face from her childhood and family, but Al is a recently paroled felon, a former drug user, and a black man.
Reckless: A Memoir by Rebecca Allard is more than a tale of two people fighting for love. It is a tale of psychological suspense, abuse, and betrayal that spans decades. This book is brilliantly written, and entirely captivating. It also shows exactly how a woman gets herself into an abusive relationship. Abusive relationships never start out that way; there is always a slow buildup until the victim is almost completely ensnared.
Was Rebecca reckless in allowing this man into her life? Maybe, but throughout this story, we see how there are two sides to everyone, and nothing is black and white. I applaud the author for her courage and conviction, and for putting herself out there in a way that could be useful to so many.
Reckless: A Memoir by Rebecca Allard is not your every day memoir. This is not one of those books that makes a reader wonder when the book will get interesting; this book grabs the readers attention in just a few pages and the suspense does not let up until the end.
Rebecca met Al in 1975, and felt an immediate attraction to him, despite being a newlywed. As she is making her way through auditions and acting gigs to create a career for herself, the shadow of Al follows her around until she finally lets him into her life. There are many obstacles facing Rebecca and Al. Not only is she married with her own demons to face from her childhood and family, but Al is a recently paroled felon, a former drug user, and a black man.
Reckless: A Memoir by Rebecca Allard is more than a tale of two people fighting for love. It is a tale of psychological suspense, abuse, and betrayal that spans decades. This book is brilliantly written, and entirely captivating. It also shows exactly how a woman gets herself into an abusive relationship. Abusive relationships never start out that way; there is always a slow buildup until the victim is almost completely ensnared.
Was Rebecca reckless in allowing this man into her life? Maybe, but throughout this story, we see how there are two sides to everyone, and nothing is black and white. I applaud the author for her courage and conviction, and for putting herself out there in a way that could be useful to so many.
July 21, 2014
I really loved the simplistic style of writing that Allard has in this memoir. You can feel that the book is about her discovery of how she ended up with the life she had never dreamed would be so bad. At times she made me so angry...How could she not see how cruel Al was and that she was being tricked? But then just as easily she made me happy when she recounted the moments she stood up to him, realized his tricks.
The memoir is a quick read, with an interesting set of main characters. She WILL keep you wondering what Al will do next and she will keep you worrying for her safety and sanity. This book is enjoyable in its ease of reading and simplicity, but is so heart wrenching in its details of her downward spiral. It's definitely not a memoir you should expect to laugh with, but it's one that you shouldn't overlook either. A work of art!
*I received this book as a First-Reads Giveaway, but was not required to post any reviews
The memoir is a quick read, with an interesting set of main characters. She WILL keep you wondering what Al will do next and she will keep you worrying for her safety and sanity. This book is enjoyable in its ease of reading and simplicity, but is so heart wrenching in its details of her downward spiral. It's definitely not a memoir you should expect to laugh with, but it's one that you shouldn't overlook either. A work of art!
*I received this book as a First-Reads Giveaway, but was not required to post any reviews
August 4, 2016
RECKLESS is an intimately articulated, superbly crafted story of an emotionally vulnerable young woman's journey, as she falls in love with a psychopath, struggles through the gut-wrenching complexities of marriage to him, and ultimately discovers her path toward healing, liberation, and strength. As a therapist and teacher, I kept thinking it could be an apt companion to WOMEN WHO LOVE PSYCHOPATHS by Sandra Brown. But RECKLESS also includes other themes of contemporary importance as well: mental illness, interracial marriage, drug addiction, sex addiction, psychotherapy, the arts. As a native New Yorker I enjoyed that most of Rebecca's story takes place in New York. But I don't mean to imply that RECKLESS is an enjoyable read. It's dense; it's intense; it will make you work; and the strength of the writing will guide you through to a deeper understanding of marriage and family dynamics, child development, psychological process, and wisdom.
May 25, 2014
This was a very painful read owing to my actually knowing the author. To experience the pain, degradation and decent into hell she went through in her own words was torturous. We always want to keep those we love from harm and it amazes me that she was able to maintain some semblance of normalcy in her work life over all that time. I can’t imagine what it took to write this novel but I can imagine the courage and strength of character it took to examine the depth of one’s soul with such ruthless honesty and candor. My father used to say “some things in life are permanent” and I know from personal experience that there are scars that can never be healed in this life but you can learn to live with them and they can be a badge of honor you wear as a reminder of your growth and survival. To those who wonder what a person can bear and what they can overcome this is a must read.
September 14, 2014
Brave, honest, and moving memoir. As someone who works with survivors of domestic violence and trauma, it was very real and hopefully inspirational for others who have experienced the same. Great read for a book club or reading group.
August 8, 2014
“Reckless: A Memoir” by Rebecca Allard is one hell of a roller coaster ride. Both memoir and psychological thriller, Allard mines her life experiences to bring the reader a tense and satisfying story of her passionate but ultimately destructive marriage to Al Black.
Allard, a white actress originally from Texas meets Black, an African American ex-con from Harlem, while working for a theater company in New York in the 1970s. The attraction is irresistible. She sees him as strong and handsome, charismatic and compassionate. But once they are married a different man appears, one consumed by violence, sex and drugs.
Set against the gritty days of New York in the 1970s and 80s, the book also examines the social and culture forces at work that helped to shape her inter racial marriage.
Why are we attracted to danger and how close can we get to the flame before we destroy ourselves? Allard’s thoughtful memoir explores these questions. In the end Allard learns that by looking backwards we can discover how we became who we are and how to find the courage to move on.
Allard, a white actress originally from Texas meets Black, an African American ex-con from Harlem, while working for a theater company in New York in the 1970s. The attraction is irresistible. She sees him as strong and handsome, charismatic and compassionate. But once they are married a different man appears, one consumed by violence, sex and drugs.
Set against the gritty days of New York in the 1970s and 80s, the book also examines the social and culture forces at work that helped to shape her inter racial marriage.
Why are we attracted to danger and how close can we get to the flame before we destroy ourselves? Allard’s thoughtful memoir explores these questions. In the end Allard learns that by looking backwards we can discover how we became who we are and how to find the courage to move on.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews