What do you think?
Rate this book
Let the Tornado Come: A Memoir
Hailed as a “clear-eyed book written with poetry and compassion” by The Boston Globe , Let the Tornado Come is the “lyrical debut memoir” ( Kirkus Reviews ) of a runaway child, the woman she became, and the horse that set her free.
When Rita Zoey Chin was eleven years old, she began running away from home. Her parents’ violence and neglect drove her onto the streets in search of a better life, but what she found instead was a dangerous world of drugs and predatory men—as well as the occasional kindness of strangers. As she hits bottom and then learns to forge a new life for herself, all of her dreams of freedom and beauty pivot on a single, precious a herd of horses running along a roadside fence.
A few years later, Rita—now a prizewinning poet and wife of a successful neurosurgeon—appears to have triumphed over her harrowing childhood, until she is struck with a series of debilitating panic attacks that threaten her comfortable new life. Ultimately, it is the memory of those hoofbeats, and the chance arrival of a spirited, endearing horse named Claret who has a difficult history himself, that will finally save her.
“A near euphoric ode to the human spirit” ( Huffington Post ), Let the Tornado Come is about pulling yourself up out of the dark and discovering that the greatest escape lies not in running from, but turning towards, those things that frighten you the most; it is “luminous…A haunting yet hopeful saga that shows how trauma and fear can transform themselves into enduring strength” ( Publishers Weekly ).
When Rita Zoey Chin was eleven years old, she began running away from home. Her parents’ violence and neglect drove her onto the streets in search of a better life, but what she found instead was a dangerous world of drugs and predatory men—as well as the occasional kindness of strangers. As she hits bottom and then learns to forge a new life for herself, all of her dreams of freedom and beauty pivot on a single, precious a herd of horses running along a roadside fence.
A few years later, Rita—now a prizewinning poet and wife of a successful neurosurgeon—appears to have triumphed over her harrowing childhood, until she is struck with a series of debilitating panic attacks that threaten her comfortable new life. Ultimately, it is the memory of those hoofbeats, and the chance arrival of a spirited, endearing horse named Claret who has a difficult history himself, that will finally save her.
“A near euphoric ode to the human spirit” ( Huffington Post ), Let the Tornado Come is about pulling yourself up out of the dark and discovering that the greatest escape lies not in running from, but turning towards, those things that frighten you the most; it is “luminous…A haunting yet hopeful saga that shows how trauma and fear can transform themselves into enduring strength” ( Publishers Weekly ).
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2014
8 people are currently reading
1498 people want to read
About the author
Rita Zoey Chin
2 books69 followersRita Zoey Chin is the author of the widely praised memoir, Let the Tornado Come. Hailed by The Huffington Post as a “euphoric ode to the human spirt” and by Oprah.com as a “powerful story to pass onto a friend,” Let the Tornado Come was named a Boston Globe “Summer Reads” pick, one of Kirkus Reviews’ “10 True Stories Perfect for Summer Reading,” an Elle Readers Prize pick, and one of Flavorwire’s “10 Nonfiction Books That Will Make You Smarter.”
Zoey holds an MFA from the University of Maryland, has taught at Towson University, and currently teaches at Grub Street in Boston, as well as at retreats and conferences near and far. Some of her other writing can be found in Guernica, Tin House, Blackbird Review, NY Arts Magazine, Marie Claire, and Flash Fiction America (W.W. Norton & Company, forthcoming in February 2023).
Her first novel, The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern, is forthcoming from Melville House in October 2022.
Zoey holds an MFA from the University of Maryland, has taught at Towson University, and currently teaches at Grub Street in Boston, as well as at retreats and conferences near and far. Some of her other writing can be found in Guernica, Tin House, Blackbird Review, NY Arts Magazine, Marie Claire, and Flash Fiction America (W.W. Norton & Company, forthcoming in February 2023).
Her first novel, The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern, is forthcoming from Melville House in October 2022.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
July 13, 2014
I used to walk to and from work in Boston, and on my way, I noticed this tiny garden plot in the space between the sidewalk and the road. A small tree was starting to bud and some early spring flowers were blooming. The next day, for some reason, a crew of city workers were cutting down the tree and by the time I walked home again, the plot had been covered with blacktop. But around a week later, a tulip shot straight through it and bloomed. I had the image of that tulip in mind as I finished reading this book. The author displays such resilience, strength, beauty and courage and this book was an honor to read.
May 8, 2014
Read this review and many others on my blog For Such Love We Feel.
I received this book free from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster as an advanced reader copy.
Let The Tornado Come is a beautifully written, thought provoking novel that anyone can relate to. Rita Zoey Chin delivers a raw look back at her own life that is simultaneously sad and triumphant and left me wanting more of her insight and wisdom. Her narrative voice spoke to me in a way that few authors have been able to, and I felt a kinship with her as she journeyed through her childhood on into adulthood, a solemn creature who knew the fragility and weight of joy. You feel the sweetness of her highs and the weight of her lows as Chin navigates between a sudden anxiety disorder and learning to ride the horse that soothes her fears. She recreates the soaring feeling of cantering with her words alone, and describes the one of a kind relationship you can only have with an animal. As a horse lover myself, it made my heart swell to read that someone else could feel so strongly and so similarly about them and it is amazing to hear the healing qualities of even the smallest things they do. And, as a sufferer of an anxiety disorder, Chin’s writing filled me with a sense of hope that if someone else can suffer so badly and overcome it, then I can continue to push through my own struggles. This intriguing, intricately written novel wraps itself around you and cradles you in its arms; it made me cry, laugh and sigh all in the same breath and it reminded me of the redemptive qualities of love in all of its many forms.
I would honestly recommend this book to anyone – if you’ve ever felt alone in a room full of people, if you’ve had a parent abandon you, if you’ve ever loved something so much it hurts, or even if you haven’t experienced any of these things, you need to read Let The Tornado Come. I cannot wait to see what other things Rita Zoey Chin releases out into the world; her narrative voice is strong and lyrical and I hope she continues to publish not only fiction, but poetry. I love when a book can remind you that there are other people out there in the world like you, when a book can make you feel something you haven’t felt before, or reaffirm your hope that things happen for a reason. If you take nothing else away from this book, take this: “Yet despite the fear and sadness and shame I carried, hope kept sprouting up like weeds in the cracks, taking root inside me.” Let that hope grow my friends, nurture it, surround yourself with people who will also nurture it and never forget that you are beautiful no matter where your life has led you. No one can take away your hope, it is a part of you and this book is a beautiful example of that truth.
I received this book free from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster as an advanced reader copy.
Let The Tornado Come is a beautifully written, thought provoking novel that anyone can relate to. Rita Zoey Chin delivers a raw look back at her own life that is simultaneously sad and triumphant and left me wanting more of her insight and wisdom. Her narrative voice spoke to me in a way that few authors have been able to, and I felt a kinship with her as she journeyed through her childhood on into adulthood, a solemn creature who knew the fragility and weight of joy. You feel the sweetness of her highs and the weight of her lows as Chin navigates between a sudden anxiety disorder and learning to ride the horse that soothes her fears. She recreates the soaring feeling of cantering with her words alone, and describes the one of a kind relationship you can only have with an animal. As a horse lover myself, it made my heart swell to read that someone else could feel so strongly and so similarly about them and it is amazing to hear the healing qualities of even the smallest things they do. And, as a sufferer of an anxiety disorder, Chin’s writing filled me with a sense of hope that if someone else can suffer so badly and overcome it, then I can continue to push through my own struggles. This intriguing, intricately written novel wraps itself around you and cradles you in its arms; it made me cry, laugh and sigh all in the same breath and it reminded me of the redemptive qualities of love in all of its many forms.
I would honestly recommend this book to anyone – if you’ve ever felt alone in a room full of people, if you’ve had a parent abandon you, if you’ve ever loved something so much it hurts, or even if you haven’t experienced any of these things, you need to read Let The Tornado Come. I cannot wait to see what other things Rita Zoey Chin releases out into the world; her narrative voice is strong and lyrical and I hope she continues to publish not only fiction, but poetry. I love when a book can remind you that there are other people out there in the world like you, when a book can make you feel something you haven’t felt before, or reaffirm your hope that things happen for a reason. If you take nothing else away from this book, take this: “Yet despite the fear and sadness and shame I carried, hope kept sprouting up like weeds in the cracks, taking root inside me.” Let that hope grow my friends, nurture it, surround yourself with people who will also nurture it and never forget that you are beautiful no matter where your life has led you. No one can take away your hope, it is a part of you and this book is a beautiful example of that truth.
November 17, 2014
A brave and courageous memoir: "Let the Tornado Come" authored by Rita Zoey Chin recalls her abusive childhood, her life on the streets as a teen runaway, later to find services in residential facilities. As a happily married wife, she faced an unrelenting panic disorder, as she was forced to confront her troubled past. An estimated 40 million Americans are affected by an anxiety disorder during their lifetime.
Convinced she was having a heart attack, she dialed 911, only to discover she was having a panic attack. Her husband Larry, a neurosurgeon at Boston Medical Center offered unconditional love and support, she received the best therapies available. Still, her anxiety was particularly challenging to deal with, she found tremendous solace, comfort, and healing caring for and riding her horse.
Chin recalled her childhood, living near a loud, busy congested airport. Their lives improved slightly when her parents moved the family to a Maryland country side. There was no happiness, with her parents constant fighting, neglect and abuse. After a bitter divorce, custody was awarded to her father, after guided manipulation of truth and fact. Both parents were utterly selfish and cruel, likely from mental illness. Chin's mother refused to allow her to live in her home, even after finding out she had been a runaway living in the streets. Chin's account of her childhood and as a runaway were totally heartbreaking.
"Grub Street' is a memoir class/workshop Chin teaches, as she advocates and mentors troubled teen girls. She holds a MFA from the University of Maryland, and lives in Boston, MA.
Convinced she was having a heart attack, she dialed 911, only to discover she was having a panic attack. Her husband Larry, a neurosurgeon at Boston Medical Center offered unconditional love and support, she received the best therapies available. Still, her anxiety was particularly challenging to deal with, she found tremendous solace, comfort, and healing caring for and riding her horse.
Chin recalled her childhood, living near a loud, busy congested airport. Their lives improved slightly when her parents moved the family to a Maryland country side. There was no happiness, with her parents constant fighting, neglect and abuse. After a bitter divorce, custody was awarded to her father, after guided manipulation of truth and fact. Both parents were utterly selfish and cruel, likely from mental illness. Chin's mother refused to allow her to live in her home, even after finding out she had been a runaway living in the streets. Chin's account of her childhood and as a runaway were totally heartbreaking.
"Grub Street' is a memoir class/workshop Chin teaches, as she advocates and mentors troubled teen girls. She holds a MFA from the University of Maryland, and lives in Boston, MA.
August 25, 2015
What a beautiful and heart wrenching story! As a fellow panic sufferer, I felt the author's pain as I read through this book, but I also felt myself grow stronger in the process. I think panic sufferers are actually braver than most people, because in order to get better, we are forced to confront our own fears--whether those fears are tangible, such as the fear of crowds or elevators, or intangible, such as our own thoughts (as in my case). Panic is paradoxical--to overcome it, we must first accept it and move through it.
After reading Rita's story, I think she is one of the bravest people in the world. I cannot imagine surviving the childhood she did, let alone overcoming it and thriving as she has. I had to put the book down a few times during those sections, because I found them too hard to read. Yet she had to LIVE THROUGH IT. Hope. Hope really is the only thing stronger than fear.
Loved this book, everything about it. And I'm going to go read some poetry now.
After reading Rita's story, I think she is one of the bravest people in the world. I cannot imagine surviving the childhood she did, let alone overcoming it and thriving as she has. I had to put the book down a few times during those sections, because I found them too hard to read. Yet she had to LIVE THROUGH IT. Hope. Hope really is the only thing stronger than fear.
Loved this book, everything about it. And I'm going to go read some poetry now.
January 27, 2023
"I didn't know a lot of things, but one thing being a runaway taught me is how to leave a place."
I first read Chin's The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern and loved it, so was very curious about her memoir. Turns out we lived in some of the same places.
I'm glad I read the novel first, so I could see how her real life informs the plot, characters, and inner life of Leah Fern. It was like peeking behind the curtain a bit, though Leah is definitely not Rita Zoey. She is her own fictional person.
What I loved about this memoir is the constant thrum of movement and running throughout the book. We know RZ is going to survive, but how? She did so by forward movement. Always moving away and to something, even if it wasn't good for her at the time. Her discussion of panic attacks will help anyone who has suffered from them, and you will be rewarded by the amazing bond she forms with Claret, a troubled horse. I also loved the very real, tender bond between husband and wife. The discussions of nostalgia.
"There is always a story inside a story, waiting to be told." Between the two books, Chin has told hers. I'm so glad she stopped running.
Trigger warnings: child abuse/sexual abuse/human trafficking
I first read Chin's The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern and loved it, so was very curious about her memoir. Turns out we lived in some of the same places.
I'm glad I read the novel first, so I could see how her real life informs the plot, characters, and inner life of Leah Fern. It was like peeking behind the curtain a bit, though Leah is definitely not Rita Zoey. She is her own fictional person.
What I loved about this memoir is the constant thrum of movement and running throughout the book. We know RZ is going to survive, but how? She did so by forward movement. Always moving away and to something, even if it wasn't good for her at the time. Her discussion of panic attacks will help anyone who has suffered from them, and you will be rewarded by the amazing bond she forms with Claret, a troubled horse. I also loved the very real, tender bond between husband and wife. The discussions of nostalgia.
"There is always a story inside a story, waiting to be told." Between the two books, Chin has told hers. I'm so glad she stopped running.
Trigger warnings: child abuse/sexual abuse/human trafficking
July 2, 2017
When Rita Zoey Chin moved with physician husband, Larry, to a spacious, light-filled colonial-style home in rural Massachusetts, she felt she was finally putting a very difficult childhood and youth behind her. Her husband soon started a new, high-pressure job as director of neurosurgery at a Boston hospital, and Rita’s plan was to write at home. Alone in the house during the day, Rita felt her heart begin to race at such a clip that she made a 911 call. The paramedics appeared, confirmed that her pulse was indeed racing, smiled when she told them she’d run out the door when she’d felt the alarming symptoms, and hinted that she might be having a panic attack like another lady who called them fairly regularly. Rita’s husband reassured (or dismissed) her, telling her she’d be fine.
The fact was: Rita’s heart had been racing for a long time, and there were reasons. In the first six chapters alone, the reader learns that during Rita’s childhood, her mother spent a lot of time weeping; believed she saw Jesus; made a point of driving off on Rita—leaving her stranded in shopping mall parking lots, apparently to scare the child, but usually returning for her after 20 minutes or so; and argued loudly with Rita's father. If her mother was seemingly an intermittently psychotic depressive, Rita’s father wasn’t a great deal more stable: in fact, he was violent, hurling objects at Rita for the most minor of childhood offences.
The author makes clear early on that her chaotic childhood propelled her into a life on the streets with all its attendant dangers. Somehow, though, she’d eventually managed to get it together: attend university, find fulfilling work, and now move with a beautiful husband to a beautiful place.
I liked the evocative title of Chin’s memoir. I liked the cover photograph of a young woman clinging to the earth—very Andrew Wyeth, but with the added feature of a horse (a hint that an animal would play a therapeutic role). I also liked the epigraph from a Stanley Kunitz poem. So what was the problem? The writing. It’s functional, yes. There are no glaring grammar or usage errors to grate on one’s nerves . . . but, boy, is it bland. I pushed myself to the end of the sixth chapter (p. 42), and I had no motivation to go any further. If the tornado did come, I wasn’t there to read about it.
The problem these days, of course, is that there are so many misery memoirs, an author needs to be possessed of extraordinary talent and sensibility to pull one off. Chin’s writing is serviceable, but wholly unremarkable as far as I got. (At this point in my life, having wasted hundreds of hours seeing dozens of books I didn't like to their sometimes bitter--but mostly just mediocre—end, I feel 5 chapters or 50 pages is a fair chance for a book to hook the reader--or not. No more clean-plate club for me.) I know many other readers loved Mira Bartok’s The Memory Palace, but I did not. To see Bartok's warm back-cover blurb about Chin's book , then, seemed even further reason to abandon it. I really enjoyed returning it to the library.
I want to make clear that I do not dismiss Chin or her experience. I just wish her writing had been of enough quality to make me want to continue (or that the author had condensed the narrative into a brief, cleanly written personal essay). As far as I got, not a single person approached living and breathing on the page.
Some people object to people rating books they didn’t complete. However, I feel my rating of 2 acknowledges that yes, I believe there was a story to tell here; there was promise--but, for me, that's just not enough anymore.
The fact was: Rita’s heart had been racing for a long time, and there were reasons. In the first six chapters alone, the reader learns that during Rita’s childhood, her mother spent a lot of time weeping; believed she saw Jesus; made a point of driving off on Rita—leaving her stranded in shopping mall parking lots, apparently to scare the child, but usually returning for her after 20 minutes or so; and argued loudly with Rita's father. If her mother was seemingly an intermittently psychotic depressive, Rita’s father wasn’t a great deal more stable: in fact, he was violent, hurling objects at Rita for the most minor of childhood offences.
The author makes clear early on that her chaotic childhood propelled her into a life on the streets with all its attendant dangers. Somehow, though, she’d eventually managed to get it together: attend university, find fulfilling work, and now move with a beautiful husband to a beautiful place.
I liked the evocative title of Chin’s memoir. I liked the cover photograph of a young woman clinging to the earth—very Andrew Wyeth, but with the added feature of a horse (a hint that an animal would play a therapeutic role). I also liked the epigraph from a Stanley Kunitz poem. So what was the problem? The writing. It’s functional, yes. There are no glaring grammar or usage errors to grate on one’s nerves . . . but, boy, is it bland. I pushed myself to the end of the sixth chapter (p. 42), and I had no motivation to go any further. If the tornado did come, I wasn’t there to read about it.
The problem these days, of course, is that there are so many misery memoirs, an author needs to be possessed of extraordinary talent and sensibility to pull one off. Chin’s writing is serviceable, but wholly unremarkable as far as I got. (At this point in my life, having wasted hundreds of hours seeing dozens of books I didn't like to their sometimes bitter--but mostly just mediocre—end, I feel 5 chapters or 50 pages is a fair chance for a book to hook the reader--or not. No more clean-plate club for me.) I know many other readers loved Mira Bartok’s The Memory Palace, but I did not. To see Bartok's warm back-cover blurb about Chin's book , then, seemed even further reason to abandon it. I really enjoyed returning it to the library.
I want to make clear that I do not dismiss Chin or her experience. I just wish her writing had been of enough quality to make me want to continue (or that the author had condensed the narrative into a brief, cleanly written personal essay). As far as I got, not a single person approached living and breathing on the page.
Some people object to people rating books they didn’t complete. However, I feel my rating of 2 acknowledges that yes, I believe there was a story to tell here; there was promise--but, for me, that's just not enough anymore.
August 17, 2014
(3.5) An affecting memoir of the author’s unstable childhood and adult anxiety disorder, this book reminded me of Once in a House on Fire by Andrea Ashworth or
Take This Man
by Brando Skyhorse. After a home life filled with physical and verbal abuse, Chin became a teenage runaway, trading sex for money, drugs or a place to stay. She bounced between detention centers and mental hospitals in suburban Maryland before finally kicking her cocaine habit and entering college to get an English degree.
That is only half of the story, however. The other, almost more troubling part of the memoir concerns her new life with her neurosurgeon husband, Larry, on the outskirts of Boston. This was supposed to be a haven, a place of peace and industry where she could devote herself to her poetry and continue to heal. But out of nowhere she started suffering from anxiety; soon she couldn’t drive on the highway, climb a staircase or take a shower without having a full-blown panic attack. It seemed her past was back to haunt her, after all; “Who knows the ways brutality wedges itself into the body, into the synapses of a brain?” Chin describes these attacks so vividly that, even if you have never had a similar experience, you will feel as if you know exactly what she is talking about.
The best sections of the book, to me, were about how she attempted to deal with the anxiety: everything from CBT and Freudian psychotherapy to cooking and ceramics lessons. “I spent so much energy hoping for some magical mother or therapist or guru to appear and unfurl a scroll of answers into my hand—ones that would tell me which steps to take and how to feel better, less afraid.” Yet the most helpful thing of all may have been her relationship with her new horse, Claret. He, too, was a nervous and possibly traumatized creature, and his recovery process in some way mirrors Chin’s.
At times I thought this metaphorical connection was a bit strained, with cringe-worthy lines like “It wasn’t until I followed the hoofbeats of my earliest memories that I would fully find my way free.” The structure of the memoir, alternating between past, present and horse, also feels needlessly overcomplicated. (I’m not too keen on the title, either.) Still, I found this a moving and lyrical piece of life writing. “Mostly, life to me feels like a lot of stumbling, punctuated by rare moments of grace” – moments she illuminates beautifully here.
Recommended for fans of Jeannette Walls and Anne Lamott.
That is only half of the story, however. The other, almost more troubling part of the memoir concerns her new life with her neurosurgeon husband, Larry, on the outskirts of Boston. This was supposed to be a haven, a place of peace and industry where she could devote herself to her poetry and continue to heal. But out of nowhere she started suffering from anxiety; soon she couldn’t drive on the highway, climb a staircase or take a shower without having a full-blown panic attack. It seemed her past was back to haunt her, after all; “Who knows the ways brutality wedges itself into the body, into the synapses of a brain?” Chin describes these attacks so vividly that, even if you have never had a similar experience, you will feel as if you know exactly what she is talking about.
The best sections of the book, to me, were about how she attempted to deal with the anxiety: everything from CBT and Freudian psychotherapy to cooking and ceramics lessons. “I spent so much energy hoping for some magical mother or therapist or guru to appear and unfurl a scroll of answers into my hand—ones that would tell me which steps to take and how to feel better, less afraid.” Yet the most helpful thing of all may have been her relationship with her new horse, Claret. He, too, was a nervous and possibly traumatized creature, and his recovery process in some way mirrors Chin’s.
At times I thought this metaphorical connection was a bit strained, with cringe-worthy lines like “It wasn’t until I followed the hoofbeats of my earliest memories that I would fully find my way free.” The structure of the memoir, alternating between past, present and horse, also feels needlessly overcomplicated. (I’m not too keen on the title, either.) Still, I found this a moving and lyrical piece of life writing. “Mostly, life to me feels like a lot of stumbling, punctuated by rare moments of grace” – moments she illuminates beautifully here.
Recommended for fans of Jeannette Walls and Anne Lamott.
August 30, 2014
I really meant to savor this book over the long weekend. Instead I tore through it, staying up late to finish it the first day. It was *that* good.
Though the story itself isn't an easy read, the writing is beautiful, almost lyrical. For instance:
On the day of my birth, I'm sure they were there--thunderous, rhythmic coming and and coming: hoofbeats.
In short, this is an incredible memoir. While there are plenty of hard moments, the author's resilient spirit comes shining through, encouraging the reader that it will be ok, even in the hardest moments.
The structure of the story is told in an unconventional way with a non-linear structure and short chapters. The short chapters keep the pace of the book brisk, which really works especially when the author is going through horrific neglectful and disempowering situations, giving the reader relief just when it was needed. The non-linear structure also encourages the reader on breathlessly eager for more.
*********
If you love memoirs, this is one of the best of this genre, read this book.
If you love stories about the resiliency of the human spirit, read this book.
If you are a writer looking for inspiration on non-linear formats, read this book.
If you love a good story wrapped up in poetic language, read this book.
********
OK. Everyone. Read this book.
Though the story itself isn't an easy read, the writing is beautiful, almost lyrical. For instance:
On the day of my birth, I'm sure they were there--thunderous, rhythmic coming and and coming: hoofbeats.
In short, this is an incredible memoir. While there are plenty of hard moments, the author's resilient spirit comes shining through, encouraging the reader that it will be ok, even in the hardest moments.
The structure of the story is told in an unconventional way with a non-linear structure and short chapters. The short chapters keep the pace of the book brisk, which really works especially when the author is going through horrific neglectful and disempowering situations, giving the reader relief just when it was needed. The non-linear structure also encourages the reader on breathlessly eager for more.
*********
If you love memoirs, this is one of the best of this genre, read this book.
If you love stories about the resiliency of the human spirit, read this book.
If you are a writer looking for inspiration on non-linear formats, read this book.
If you love a good story wrapped up in poetic language, read this book.
********
OK. Everyone. Read this book.
January 14, 2014
How a book about fear, about running away from a home filled with anger and hopelessness and despair becomes a story of courage, of truth and beauty and will, and of always reaching toward love--speaks to the prodigious talent and heart of the author, Rita Zoey Chin. Gorgeous and unflinching, this memoir tells the story of a harrowing journey through childhood into wisdom, into strength, and into joy. This is an incredible, compassionate, and absolutely thrilling book, filled with humor, warmth, and depth, and it will stay with me forever. (lucky me.)
January 15, 2014
Confronted by seemingly unrelenting challenges, an extraordinarily courageous woman remains loving and hopeful in the face of dark forces that would incarcerate those with less spirit. With her astonishing voice, Rita Zoey Chin weaves an exquisite tapestry from the narrative threads of her life in this redemptive memoir as she heals herself, her horse, and her reader all at once.
May 28, 2015
This was a stunning portrayal of Rita's harrowing childhood and her redemption. Stop what you are doing and read this book. If you are already reading a book right now, set it aside and start reading this book instead. I stayed up until 1:17 am reading this book because I was that enthralled. I haven't done that in a long time. Great, great read!
September 2, 2014
There were moments when I almost decided to put this book down due to the graphic details and heavy nature of her abuse, yet it is so well written and threaded with the power of resilience and hope throughout that I could not leave her story.
February 15, 2016
Just started the book, recommended by Jennifer, and I love it so far! It's completely captivating and engrossing.....
Rather than try to follow her life in chronological order, Rita switched back and forth, which saved her very sad story from getting too overwhelming. I couldn't help but feel empathy for her, her pain and betrayal by her parents was horrible. I couldn't feel anything but anger at our systems, that don't listen to the abused, but simply shuffle kids around like paper cut outs and don't help any of them.
I found her story with Claret ( horse) fascinating. The horse was a perfect reflection of herself, and as she saw his panic and helped him, she was able to deal more with her own. The love, and the difficulty along the way was my favorite parts to this story...it was tremendously uplifting and joyous in the end.
The family pain was the worst. A S Neill once said: "There is no such thing as problem children, there are only problem parents" . I want to shake her mother and scream in her face at what she did to her child. I want to really inflict some pain on her father, despite the laws of kharma. He deserves a special place in hades.
And yet look at the beautiful person that emerges out of that nightmare! Finally able to live without panic and express her art and talents to the world. What a wonderful example to us all and to other abused and abandoned children.
There's so much more to potentially talk about, but this was an unforgettable book.
Rather than try to follow her life in chronological order, Rita switched back and forth, which saved her very sad story from getting too overwhelming. I couldn't help but feel empathy for her, her pain and betrayal by her parents was horrible. I couldn't feel anything but anger at our systems, that don't listen to the abused, but simply shuffle kids around like paper cut outs and don't help any of them.
I found her story with Claret ( horse) fascinating. The horse was a perfect reflection of herself, and as she saw his panic and helped him, she was able to deal more with her own. The love, and the difficulty along the way was my favorite parts to this story...it was tremendously uplifting and joyous in the end.
The family pain was the worst. A S Neill once said: "There is no such thing as problem children, there are only problem parents" . I want to shake her mother and scream in her face at what she did to her child. I want to really inflict some pain on her father, despite the laws of kharma. He deserves a special place in hades.
And yet look at the beautiful person that emerges out of that nightmare! Finally able to live without panic and express her art and talents to the world. What a wonderful example to us all and to other abused and abandoned children.
There's so much more to potentially talk about, but this was an unforgettable book.
August 9, 2014
In Let the Tornado Come by Rita Zoey Chin, we are told about Rita's childhood which was rough to say the least. Now a married woman, she suffers panic attacks at every turn. This read like a novel only it's true! I loved this book and highly recommend it. I was drawn into her stories and found myself rooting for her to get help. Turns out an animal was a big help. What kind? You will have to read the book to find out!
(Gerard's review)
Let The Tornado Come by Rita Zoey Chin is a memoir about her dark childhood, her panic attacks and her journey to having a normal life she dreamed of with the help of horses. I almost quit on this book because her childhood was so awful! The abusive parents were bad, but the child prostitution and her life on the streets was horrible and disgusting. I felt bad for her and admired her courage to keep searching for a better life. The best part of the book was how she bonded with a horse named Claret. The thing that was most distracting to me was how the book kept jumping back and forth between the past and the present. Overall, it was pretty shocking to me and gave me some insight into a lifestyle that is very different from mine.
(Karen's review)
(Gerard's review)
Let The Tornado Come by Rita Zoey Chin is a memoir about her dark childhood, her panic attacks and her journey to having a normal life she dreamed of with the help of horses. I almost quit on this book because her childhood was so awful! The abusive parents were bad, but the child prostitution and her life on the streets was horrible and disgusting. I felt bad for her and admired her courage to keep searching for a better life. The best part of the book was how she bonded with a horse named Claret. The thing that was most distracting to me was how the book kept jumping back and forth between the past and the present. Overall, it was pretty shocking to me and gave me some insight into a lifestyle that is very different from mine.
(Karen's review)
December 12, 2014
"Let the Tornado Come" by Rita Zoey Chin
I just finished reading this wonderful book.
Rita has a way of bringing the reader "in". I am pretty good friends with her sister (Joanne) which is how I initially learned of the book. A notoriously slow reader, a week into reading, I jokingly -- but not so jokingly -- told Joanne that the book feels so intimate that I felt like I was having sex with her! She laughed. But my point was, Rita has a prose that feels very intimate; she connects with her reader on a basal familiar way. I loved it. Didn't expect to. Picked it up as a way to fill the gap until one of my favorite authors released a new book. But Rita sucked me in. Her horse Claret and their relationship reminds me of the horse I've been riding since I took up learning to ride, two years ago. Her intimacy of "why" she was a runaway touches me in a very personal way. Her prose would touch anyone who makes the decision to read her book. That said...I very highly recommend this book!
I just finished reading this wonderful book.
Rita has a way of bringing the reader "in". I am pretty good friends with her sister (Joanne) which is how I initially learned of the book. A notoriously slow reader, a week into reading, I jokingly -- but not so jokingly -- told Joanne that the book feels so intimate that I felt like I was having sex with her! She laughed. But my point was, Rita has a prose that feels very intimate; she connects with her reader on a basal familiar way. I loved it. Didn't expect to. Picked it up as a way to fill the gap until one of my favorite authors released a new book. But Rita sucked me in. Her horse Claret and their relationship reminds me of the horse I've been riding since I took up learning to ride, two years ago. Her intimacy of "why" she was a runaway touches me in a very personal way. Her prose would touch anyone who makes the decision to read her book. That said...I very highly recommend this book!
January 15, 2014
Confronted by seemingly unrelenting challenges, an extraordinarily courageous woman remains loving and hopeful in the face of dark forces that would incarcerate those with less spirit. With her astonishing voice, Rita Zoey Chin weaves an exquisite tapestry from the narrative threads of her life in this redemptive memoir as she heals herself, her horse, and her reader all at once.
Merged review:
Confronted by seemingly unrelenting challenges, an extraordinarily courageous woman remains loving and hopeful in the face of dark forces that would incarcerate those with less spirit. With her astonishing voice, Rita Zoey Chin weaves an exquisite tapestry from the narrative threads of her life in this redemptive memoir as she heals herself, her horse, and her reader all at once.
Merged review:
Confronted by seemingly unrelenting challenges, an extraordinarily courageous woman remains loving and hopeful in the face of dark forces that would incarcerate those with less spirit. With her astonishing voice, Rita Zoey Chin weaves an exquisite tapestry from the narrative threads of her life in this redemptive memoir as she heals herself, her horse, and her reader all at once.
November 23, 2020
"Let the Tornado Come" is Chin's memoir of a childhood filled with abuse, her struggle on the streets as a runaway trying to survive, and how a horse named Claret helped her overcome her panic as an adult. I really enjoyed this book. I won it as a first reads giveaway. It is beautifully written. Chin's story is a sad one but one filled with hope. Chin endured a horrific childhood and came out the other side even stronger. Her story is inspiring. The book has a poetic feel to it. My favorite line from the book is on page 149. "If only we could always say our truths-- if we could name the things that haunt us-- maybe they would float up from us like a kind of helium that the birds would sip in the treetops. Then they would make us laugh and laugh." I highly recommend this book.
October 16, 2015
In equal measures gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, humorous and inspirational, this memoir moved me in ways I could not have expected. I was drawn into Chin's story when I heard her interviewed on NPR. Though it took me about 6 months to actually pick up the book, I was amazed at how her courage, gusto, and fierce love and determination for something better came across just as clearly in writing as it had through her spoken word. Reading a poet's memoir, even with the difficult subject matter of nearly every possible kind of abuse, was a literary gift. Read this book. With Kleenex handy. I will carry her story with me and hope to have half the strength and courage in my darkest moments as she displays in her mildest of discomforts.
July 31, 2014
A tale of an abusive and heart-breaking childhood at the hands of two really awful parents. In her adult life, the author continues to suffer from PTSD and finds solace in riding horses.
I have to admit that the horse-racing pieces (the "now") left me a bit lost. Not because the author isn't eloquent or details - she was both, but mostly because I just can't relate to horses as a way of therapy. That being said, it's a remarkable story. I just wish the author had detailed a bit more how she crawled out of her situation in her late teens/early adulthood to become the success story she is today.
I have to admit that the horse-racing pieces (the "now") left me a bit lost. Not because the author isn't eloquent or details - she was both, but mostly because I just can't relate to horses as a way of therapy. That being said, it's a remarkable story. I just wish the author had detailed a bit more how she crawled out of her situation in her late teens/early adulthood to become the success story she is today.
October 7, 2014
A compelling story and fascinating about the condition of panic disorder and all the layers of life inbetween. I couldn't put the book down. I have had panic attacks in the past; not full blown, but now there is the matter of the freeways I don't drive. Hmmmm.
A brave young woman, as I reader I loved her immediately. Her writing is excellent and the story is fascinating. Several women have been about the healing power of horses, and one at least besides Ms. Chin, lived in Boston. (my home town)
I hope a lot of people read this book.
A brave young woman, as I reader I loved her immediately. Her writing is excellent and the story is fascinating. Several women have been about the healing power of horses, and one at least besides Ms. Chin, lived in Boston. (my home town)
I hope a lot of people read this book.
April 7, 2015
I hesitated to read this book because of the difficult subject matter but several people recommended it so I took a deep breath and started reading. I finished it in two sittings.
Right away I was struck by Rita Zoey Chin's beautiful writing and the skillful way she weaves the various threads of her story together. Rita Zoey Chin's story is one of survival, not just of the body but also of the spirit, and what a generous spirit she has. Though she has witnessed some of the worst things humanity has to offer, she is not broken by it. This book will affect me for a long time.
Right away I was struck by Rita Zoey Chin's beautiful writing and the skillful way she weaves the various threads of her story together. Rita Zoey Chin's story is one of survival, not just of the body but also of the spirit, and what a generous spirit she has. Though she has witnessed some of the worst things humanity has to offer, she is not broken by it. This book will affect me for a long time.
March 3, 2016
Written in lovely lyrical prose, Let the Tornado Come is a book about despair and joy, about fear and triumph. After one of the most horrible childhoods imaginable - both physically and emotionally - Rita struggles with immobilizing panic attacks, but with the help of her horse, Claret, and the kindness and patience of others, she learns to trust in herself and slowly overcome her anxieties. I thought this might be a slow read, but I finished it in a few days, wishing it were a bit longer.
August 12, 2014
I loved this book!! And, so eloquently written! It is amazing to me that the writer had so much hope coming from a miserable, abusive and hopeless situation. The author is a true testament of the power of the human spirit.
October 13, 2014
Amazing what the human spirit can overcome - my heart goes out to Rita . Her childhood was a train wreck and I'm interested in knowing more about her experiences . She has stories to share and she is amazingly honest . What a brave soul .
October 9, 2014
Gritty, heartbreaking and real. It's a miracle that she was able to escape the abuse and end up with only panic attacks. Hard to read at certain times, but that's what kept me interested.
January 22, 2015
This book is about listening to your inner voice, never giving up and the power of love. Really an enjoyable read.
July 12, 2015
Excellent memoir from a brave soul healing from a panic disorder.
October 27, 2014
I found this book strangely compelling. Unlike other thoughtful memoirs I've tried to read, this one was positively salacious. The descriptions of the author being abused as a child are can't-look-away horrifying (how could anybody treat a child like that?) Later, her life as a runaway with whoever would house her in exchange for sex, was cop-show dramatic. She is lucky to be alive, and her misadventures are certainly page-turning. (I really enjoyed the description of the doctor who sniffed, "how could you write a memoir at your age?")
The scenes of her early life were interspersed with scenes of the author as a married, previously high-functioning adult who suddenly starts to have debilitating panic attacks. I'd never read a description of life with an anxiety disorder, and I'd also never heard of CBT not working for somebody. I found it oddly appropriate that she bought a horse that had the same sort of problem, who needed to be treated much more compassionately. What are the odds?
I wish there was more information about her transformation from a drug addict to the wife of a very successful brain surgeon. How does one do that? She seems to say that she just quit drugs cold turkey, without going into rehab, is that possible? She got her GED, and started going to college - how did she keep from relapsing with no support system? She says her husband didn't know about her past. How much did he not know? He knew enough to know that her past scared him. Why would you marry somebody whose past scares you? Anybody who has had trauma in the past is going to end up with mental problems of some sort, anxiety or depression or PTSD, and if you marry them you are signing up to be involved with that.
Anyway, a great read.
The scenes of her early life were interspersed with scenes of the author as a married, previously high-functioning adult who suddenly starts to have debilitating panic attacks. I'd never read a description of life with an anxiety disorder, and I'd also never heard of CBT not working for somebody. I found it oddly appropriate that she bought a horse that had the same sort of problem, who needed to be treated much more compassionately. What are the odds?
I wish there was more information about her transformation from a drug addict to the wife of a very successful brain surgeon. How does one do that? She seems to say that she just quit drugs cold turkey, without going into rehab, is that possible? She got her GED, and started going to college - how did she keep from relapsing with no support system? She says her husband didn't know about her past. How much did he not know? He knew enough to know that her past scared him. Why would you marry somebody whose past scares you? Anybody who has had trauma in the past is going to end up with mental problems of some sort, anxiety or depression or PTSD, and if you marry them you are signing up to be involved with that.
Anyway, a great read.
August 4, 2014
I happened across this book when I read a review in the Boston Globe, so I reserved it online at my local library. We'll I picked it up today, read it, and loved it. It's a memoir, a type of story I love, and it alternates chapters between her chapters on the violence and abuse she suffered as a child and the panic attacks she begins to endure at age 35. She is happily married and cannot understand the panic attacks, over the course of the book, she becomes more aware of their causes and she also have love affair with horses as she learns to ride. I won't go so far as to call it inspirational, but it is lovely. I was not abused as a child, I am not a successful writer, and I know nothing about horses, but I still connected to the author. Her writing is that good!
March 10, 2015
I had to write a review of this wonderful book because when a book lingers with me for days it is worth sharing a review with the world. I would like to say that I wish I had a Claret and a Larry :) Each are a rarity to have in one lifetime but both? Both are well deserved blessings!
Ms. Rita, your childhood story is difficult to read and difficult to move on from after the last page of your book. Then there is the panic disorder. As if the childhood traumas were not enough then there is the terror monsters on highways and in stairwells.
Thank you for telling us your story and thank you for giving a voice to all of those who have lived one or both or all of your undeserved cruelties. Your writing is remarkable because you are truly gifted with words.
Ms. Rita, your childhood story is difficult to read and difficult to move on from after the last page of your book. Then there is the panic disorder. As if the childhood traumas were not enough then there is the terror monsters on highways and in stairwells.
Thank you for telling us your story and thank you for giving a voice to all of those who have lived one or both or all of your undeserved cruelties. Your writing is remarkable because you are truly gifted with words.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews