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Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood
The incredible true story of a family built on lies.
What if the people you love most are not who you thought they were? What if you don’t know who you are, either? Cheryl Diamond’s memoir begins when she is four and her family is in Kashmir, India, hurtling down the Himalayas in their battered station wagon headed for the Golden Temple, the holiest site in the Sikh religion. The family are Sikhs. Today. In a few years they will be Jewish. Cheryl’s name is Harbhajan. Today. But in a few years she will be Crystal. By the time she turns nine, Cheryl has had at least six assumed identities. She has lived on five continents, fleeing the specter of Interpol and law enforcement. Her father, a master financial criminal, or so she believes, uproots the family at the slightest sign of suspicion.
Despite the strange circumstances, Diamond’s life as a young child is mostly joyful and exciting, her family of five a tiny, happy circle unto themselves. Even as she learn how to forge identity papers and fix a car with chicken wire, she somehow becomes a near-Olympic-level athlete and then an international teenage model. She even publishes a book about it. As she grows older, though, things get darker. Her identity is burned again and again, leaving her with no past, no proof even that she exists, and her family—the only people she has in the world—begins to unravel. Love and trust turn to fear and violence. Secrets are revealed, and she is betrayed by those on whom she relies most.
Slowly, Diamond begins to realize that her life itself might be a big con. Surviving would require her to escape, and we root for this determined woman as she unlearns all the rules of her family. Cinematic and witty, Nowhere Girl is an impossible-to-believe true story of self-discovery and triumph.
What if the people you love most are not who you thought they were? What if you don’t know who you are, either? Cheryl Diamond’s memoir begins when she is four and her family is in Kashmir, India, hurtling down the Himalayas in their battered station wagon headed for the Golden Temple, the holiest site in the Sikh religion. The family are Sikhs. Today. In a few years they will be Jewish. Cheryl’s name is Harbhajan. Today. But in a few years she will be Crystal. By the time she turns nine, Cheryl has had at least six assumed identities. She has lived on five continents, fleeing the specter of Interpol and law enforcement. Her father, a master financial criminal, or so she believes, uproots the family at the slightest sign of suspicion.
Despite the strange circumstances, Diamond’s life as a young child is mostly joyful and exciting, her family of five a tiny, happy circle unto themselves. Even as she learn how to forge identity papers and fix a car with chicken wire, she somehow becomes a near-Olympic-level athlete and then an international teenage model. She even publishes a book about it. As she grows older, though, things get darker. Her identity is burned again and again, leaving her with no past, no proof even that she exists, and her family—the only people she has in the world—begins to unravel. Love and trust turn to fear and violence. Secrets are revealed, and she is betrayed by those on whom she relies most.
Slowly, Diamond begins to realize that her life itself might be a big con. Surviving would require her to escape, and we root for this determined woman as she unlearns all the rules of her family. Cinematic and witty, Nowhere Girl is an impossible-to-believe true story of self-discovery and triumph.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 2021
447 people are currently reading
14257 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,122 reviews
June 24, 2021
This isn’t a memoir; is crappy fiction that steals every “on the run” trope from movies and fictional titles. From the “details” of her life at 4 to the conversations she’s reinacts (focus on “act,” because it’s bs), to “I’m an Olympic-level athlete; my brother is also, but we will conveniently forget that we are fugitives while we pursue these dreams. Ugh. Enough already— and I didn’t even add what’s thrown in for shock value. I’ll never get these wasted hours back.
October 27, 2021
[4+] This memoir, about a childhood and young adulthood spent as a fugitive, is jaw-dropping and unputdownable. More than a sensational story, Diamond writes fiercely about her bizarre childhood, combining the clear eyes of an adult with the innocence of the child she once was.
October 18, 2021
So many things about this book made me roll my eyes, and if it were a work of fiction I would call the main character a prime example of a Mary Sue.
I am confused how her brother was able to get on the Brazilian swimming team for the Maccabiah Games so easily… when you’re at that level of sport everyone knows at least of everyone else (if they don’t train together on the regular) so being:
- an Olympic caliber athlete
- from a specific religious group (less that 1.2% of the Brazilian population as of the 2010 census)
And that the other guys (who did seem to know each other) just accepted this rings false to me.
Her training with the Romanian national gymnastics team also raises an eyebrow for me, but less than Frank’s I guess.
I also have some questions about the timeline.
She says that she’s 11 when the bridge in Tel Aviv collapses (July 14th, 1997) but then when they are in Virginia she says she is 12 when her sister goes to work on the Gore presidential campaign.
But Gore didn’t announce his intention to run for President until June 16, 1999 (2 years less 1 month later) and wasn’t confirmed as the Democratic nominee until August 17, 2000.
She says her father decided her sister would work on the Gore campaign because he thought Gore would win over Bush. Bush also began his campaign in June of 1999 and was in a fairly tight race for the Republican nomination with John McCann until March 7, 2000. Like, so tight that McCann didn’t officially withdraw from the race until after Bush had won the nomination.
She also says she is 13 and has her Bat Mitvah after her sister has been working in politics for a little while.
So, if we know her birthday is in the end of July (later it’s said to be the 27th)
- if she’s 11 when the bridge collapses, she would have been born July 27, 1984
- but if that’s true, she’s 14 years old when Gore and Bush made their announcements that they have decide to run and 15 when Bush is the Republican nominee (and because her birthday is in late July, 16 when Gore is.)
- if she turns 13 between the time Gore makes his announcement to run and his nomination, she would have been born July 27, 1986
- This requires either her father knowing Bush would beat McCann for the nomination or retro-editing his plan to make it fit… (plausible, as gaslighting seems to be something he is fine with, but then again, why would (1) she repeat it and (2) an editor not catch it?)
- But if she’s 13 at this point, that means she would have been 10 when the bridge collapsed.
Later on she says she is 21 when she does her interview with Good Morning America after her book Model is released. According to the Goodreads page for the book it was released on May 20, 2008. So, working with the assumption that she did the interview around this date, she would have been born on July 27, 1986, which fits with the Bush/Gore timeline, but not the Tel Aviv one. It’s also worth noting in this interview, she’s 14 when she comes to New York to start modelling, but in this book at 14 they’re in North Carolina, and she doesn’t go to New York until 16.
I am confused how her brother was able to get on the Brazilian swimming team for the Maccabiah Games so easily… when you’re at that level of sport everyone knows at least of everyone else (if they don’t train together on the regular) so being:
- an Olympic caliber athlete
- from a specific religious group (less that 1.2% of the Brazilian population as of the 2010 census)
And that the other guys (who did seem to know each other) just accepted this rings false to me.
Her training with the Romanian national gymnastics team also raises an eyebrow for me, but less than Frank’s I guess.
I also have some questions about the timeline.
She says that she’s 11 when the bridge in Tel Aviv collapses (July 14th, 1997) but then when they are in Virginia she says she is 12 when her sister goes to work on the Gore presidential campaign.
But Gore didn’t announce his intention to run for President until June 16, 1999 (2 years less 1 month later) and wasn’t confirmed as the Democratic nominee until August 17, 2000.
She says her father decided her sister would work on the Gore campaign because he thought Gore would win over Bush. Bush also began his campaign in June of 1999 and was in a fairly tight race for the Republican nomination with John McCann until March 7, 2000. Like, so tight that McCann didn’t officially withdraw from the race until after Bush had won the nomination.
She also says she is 13 and has her Bat Mitvah after her sister has been working in politics for a little while.
So, if we know her birthday is in the end of July (later it’s said to be the 27th)
- if she’s 11 when the bridge collapses, she would have been born July 27, 1984
- but if that’s true, she’s 14 years old when Gore and Bush made their announcements that they have decide to run and 15 when Bush is the Republican nominee (and because her birthday is in late July, 16 when Gore is.)
- if she turns 13 between the time Gore makes his announcement to run and his nomination, she would have been born July 27, 1986
- This requires either her father knowing Bush would beat McCann for the nomination or retro-editing his plan to make it fit… (plausible, as gaslighting seems to be something he is fine with, but then again, why would (1) she repeat it and (2) an editor not catch it?)
- But if she’s 13 at this point, that means she would have been 10 when the bridge collapsed.
Later on she says she is 21 when she does her interview with Good Morning America after her book Model is released. According to the Goodreads page for the book it was released on May 20, 2008. So, working with the assumption that she did the interview around this date, she would have been born on July 27, 1986, which fits with the Bush/Gore timeline, but not the Tel Aviv one. It’s also worth noting in this interview, she’s 14 when she comes to New York to start modelling, but in this book at 14 they’re in North Carolina, and she doesn’t go to New York until 16.
June 28, 2021
A best book of the year for me. Superb.
For anyone who follows my Instagram account, you know that I have been screaming from the rooftops about this book. It is one of the most outstanding stories I've ever read. It's unlike anything I've ever heard of and quite frankly, I wouldn't have believed someone's life could actually be like this had I not read the book.
I don't want to really get into any of the details regarding the story because I think it's best to go in as blind as possible. While there is no chance I would give this anything less than 5 stars, I wish there would have been a little more info given regarding certain family members, but I wonder if that was done on purpose.
All I can say is that once you get about 10 pages in, you sincerely won't want to stop reading. I've never read nonfiction this fast before in my life. The expression, 'this reads like fiction' is absolutely true here. There is something in this book for everyone.
Thank you to Algonquin Books and Cheryl Diamond for the gifted copies in exchange for an honest review.
Review Date: 06/28/2021
Publication Date: 06/15/2021
For anyone who follows my Instagram account, you know that I have been screaming from the rooftops about this book. It is one of the most outstanding stories I've ever read. It's unlike anything I've ever heard of and quite frankly, I wouldn't have believed someone's life could actually be like this had I not read the book.
I don't want to really get into any of the details regarding the story because I think it's best to go in as blind as possible. While there is no chance I would give this anything less than 5 stars, I wish there would have been a little more info given regarding certain family members, but I wonder if that was done on purpose.
All I can say is that once you get about 10 pages in, you sincerely won't want to stop reading. I've never read nonfiction this fast before in my life. The expression, 'this reads like fiction' is absolutely true here. There is something in this book for everyone.
Thank you to Algonquin Books and Cheryl Diamond for the gifted copies in exchange for an honest review.
Review Date: 06/28/2021
Publication Date: 06/15/2021
October 29, 2021
Maybe it's just my reporter training, but as I was reading, I kept thinking how her descriptions of India sounded almost too familiar, as if they had been lifted from other sources—movies she had seen, books she had read, stories she'd absorbed, scenes she had imagined. Germany struck me as much the same. But I just read along, increasingly appalled but not giving the truthfulness of the narrative too much thought. That is, until they arrived in Israel, where I live. That's where this supposed memoir started to unravel for me.
I strongly doubt that the Israel episode ever happened. First red flag: No one ever arrived in Tel Aviv in the summer and remarked upon the dry desert heat. They would say, "Wow, is it ever humid here!" Then the whole scenario of having fake Brazilian passports with a Brazilian name that MIGHT sound Jewish, and no one knowing a word of Portuguese other than the mother, the paterfamilias looking like he just emerged from the backwoods of North America, and all of this getting past Israeli security? Didn't happen. Because if I can swing a "gato" in Israel and hit someone who speaks Brazilian Portuguese and who could quickly demolish an absurd backstory on a moment's notice—trust me, so can Israeli security. Not to mention getting anything past the rabbis, who are even less inclined to believe unsubstantiated claims of being born and raised Jewish.
The anti-Semitic trope of her father believing that the Jews run the finances of the world was awful enough, especially when you consider that the author brings to bear all sorts of adult observations to her childhood, but, unsettling enough, not this one. Which brings me to another anti-Semitic trope and the biggest red flag of all.
I can tell you for a fact that no Israeli ever looked at a blonde, blue-eyed child and told her she "doesn't look Jewish." Israelis don't even think in those terms. I've heard this idiocy repeated countless times in the States by uninformed non-Jews, but never once in Israel, where I raised two children, one of whom was blond with green eyes. It just doesn't happen in a country where Jews ingathered from all over the world -- Ethiopia, Russia, Yemen, Germany, Egypt, Poland, Brazil, India, Morocco, Scotland and Iraq, to name just a few -- and their coloring, and that of their intermarrying descendants, ranges just as widely.
Placing the family smack in the center of the bridge tragedy at the 1997 Maccabiah Games seemed a little too convenient, too, especially when the information she recites reads as if she'd lifted it from the Wikipedia entry. Smaller red flags: Her claim that the age of Bat Mitzvah is 13, when even a pretend Jewish kid who went to a Jewish school would know it's 12. Then the brother goes off to study at a yeshiva in New York? It all beggars belief.
I'm halfway through the book, and I'll continue, just to see what happens. I should give this one-star, based on the fabrications, but that would mean it's unreadable, which it isn't. Instead, I'm approaching it as a highly embroidered memoir and awarding that extra star for imagination. After all, she said herself that one of the skills she learned growing up was to lie. And that I believe 100 percent.
I strongly doubt that the Israel episode ever happened. First red flag: No one ever arrived in Tel Aviv in the summer and remarked upon the dry desert heat. They would say, "Wow, is it ever humid here!" Then the whole scenario of having fake Brazilian passports with a Brazilian name that MIGHT sound Jewish, and no one knowing a word of Portuguese other than the mother, the paterfamilias looking like he just emerged from the backwoods of North America, and all of this getting past Israeli security? Didn't happen. Because if I can swing a "gato" in Israel and hit someone who speaks Brazilian Portuguese and who could quickly demolish an absurd backstory on a moment's notice—trust me, so can Israeli security. Not to mention getting anything past the rabbis, who are even less inclined to believe unsubstantiated claims of being born and raised Jewish.
The anti-Semitic trope of her father believing that the Jews run the finances of the world was awful enough, especially when you consider that the author brings to bear all sorts of adult observations to her childhood, but, unsettling enough, not this one. Which brings me to another anti-Semitic trope and the biggest red flag of all.
I can tell you for a fact that no Israeli ever looked at a blonde, blue-eyed child and told her she "doesn't look Jewish." Israelis don't even think in those terms. I've heard this idiocy repeated countless times in the States by uninformed non-Jews, but never once in Israel, where I raised two children, one of whom was blond with green eyes. It just doesn't happen in a country where Jews ingathered from all over the world -- Ethiopia, Russia, Yemen, Germany, Egypt, Poland, Brazil, India, Morocco, Scotland and Iraq, to name just a few -- and their coloring, and that of their intermarrying descendants, ranges just as widely.
Placing the family smack in the center of the bridge tragedy at the 1997 Maccabiah Games seemed a little too convenient, too, especially when the information she recites reads as if she'd lifted it from the Wikipedia entry. Smaller red flags: Her claim that the age of Bat Mitzvah is 13, when even a pretend Jewish kid who went to a Jewish school would know it's 12. Then the brother goes off to study at a yeshiva in New York? It all beggars belief.
I'm halfway through the book, and I'll continue, just to see what happens. I should give this one-star, based on the fabrications, but that would mean it's unreadable, which it isn't. Instead, I'm approaching it as a highly embroidered memoir and awarding that extra star for imagination. After all, she said herself that one of the skills she learned growing up was to lie. And that I believe 100 percent.
September 29, 2022
Thanks to Algonquin Books for my ARC of “Nowhere Girl” by Author Cheryl Diamond in exchange for an honest review.
Where to begin?!! This is an unforgettable nonfiction story written so well you feel like you’re on this absurd nightmare journey side-by-side with the author. Your heart races as the horror unfolds and you, at times, can’t believe this is true, but it checks out!! From the first paragraph to the last, you’ll hold your breath. The author’s writing style is very fluid and you melt between the pages as time slips away. Truly big screen movie material. Totally 5-stars.
Where to begin?!! This is an unforgettable nonfiction story written so well you feel like you’re on this absurd nightmare journey side-by-side with the author. Your heart races as the horror unfolds and you, at times, can’t believe this is true, but it checks out!! From the first paragraph to the last, you’ll hold your breath. The author’s writing style is very fluid and you melt between the pages as time slips away. Truly big screen movie material. Totally 5-stars.
January 16, 2022
“It's remembering who we were, and the way we believed, before anyone tried to strip our faith.”
This memoir details the childhood and early adulthood of the author. Her family was always on the run, moving from country to country every few months. her training focused on how to survive interrogation and how to shoplift. As she grows older, she finds out the truth about the reasons they are running and tries to find out who she really is.
If you enjoy memoirs that read like a novel, you will find this one interesting. The first part of the book is from her childhood to mid-teens. The second part details the life of her parents, how they met, and more about why they are running. The third part is the author's story during her 20s.
It is an interesting story, especially the first two parts. It was a little slower in the third part, but in a good way. If you enjoy memoirs, you will like this one.
TW: Mental abuse and manipulation, mild violence
This memoir details the childhood and early adulthood of the author. Her family was always on the run, moving from country to country every few months. her training focused on how to survive interrogation and how to shoplift. As she grows older, she finds out the truth about the reasons they are running and tries to find out who she really is.
If you enjoy memoirs that read like a novel, you will find this one interesting. The first part of the book is from her childhood to mid-teens. The second part details the life of her parents, how they met, and more about why they are running. The third part is the author's story during her 20s.
It is an interesting story, especially the first two parts. It was a little slower in the third part, but in a good way. If you enjoy memoirs, you will like this one.
TW: Mental abuse and manipulation, mild violence
August 13, 2021
Wow! This book deals with so much and it was astonishing what this family had to go through and what the children had to go through to make sure nobody knew who they were. This book is about a family who is on the run from the mothers father who threatened to take the children away. So as they hop from country to country and city to city it is up to the children to make sure they have their story straight of who they are. I found this fascinating and intriguing through out the whole book. A+
Thank you Algonquin Books for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Algonquin Books for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2022
[3.5 Stars]
Cheryl nee Crystal nee Harbjhan grew up in a crazy situation. Dodging countries, friends and lives along the way. She has a truly incredible life with an unbelievable upbringing running from something she's not even aware of. She clings to the only thing she knows -- her family.
I think the writing was great, and clearly Diamond put her heart into telling the reader this story and taking us down this path with her. Something didn't quite work for me with this one. I can already feel this story slipping away from my mind. It didn't fully connect into something that is unforgettable. I think the ending added something a little too chaotic of her writing her first book and the relationship with her grandfather. It took away from the rest of the narrative for this reader.
Cheryl nee Crystal nee Harbjhan grew up in a crazy situation. Dodging countries, friends and lives along the way. She has a truly incredible life with an unbelievable upbringing running from something she's not even aware of. She clings to the only thing she knows -- her family.
I think the writing was great, and clearly Diamond put her heart into telling the reader this story and taking us down this path with her. Something didn't quite work for me with this one. I can already feel this story slipping away from my mind. It didn't fully connect into something that is unforgettable. I think the ending added something a little too chaotic of her writing her first book and the relationship with her grandfather. It took away from the rest of the narrative for this reader.
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March 30, 2025Not sure how to rate this one because I’m not sure it’s true. I had the same reaction to Educated.
June 30, 2021
I found this compelling at first, but as things go on there are a lot of things that seem really inconsistent and not believable. Made me really curious what fact-checking they were able to do with this story, especially when I read that her previous memoir, Model, apparently contradicts this one.
I would say the parts when she is a child are more engrossing than the portions when she is older. There is a lot of detail in the childhood portion but it gets sparse and jumps around as she gets older. The ways the hardship/illness/abuse just piles on more and more even when the character finally shows some agency just gets to be frustrating.
September 4, 2021
Making a judgment call that this is fabricated. On premise, I had a hard time reading even 40 pages of a “memoir” written about the ages of 4-8. No human can recall the details and dialog she has in this book at those ages. If this were simply marketed as fiction there’s no problem. But that it’s sold as a memoir feels pretty grimy and dishonest.
I imagine there’s some kernel of truth to this author’s life but this is a tall tale. It feels very similar to what we all discovered when James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces” proved to be fictional 15 years ago.
I imagine there’s some kernel of truth to this author’s life but this is a tall tale. It feels very similar to what we all discovered when James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces” proved to be fictional 15 years ago.
December 6, 2021
This book is one big con job. It’s supposed to be a memoir but it’s just not true. I researched so many of the events in the book and things don’t add up. Her parents put their children in the spotlight for athletics but there is absolutely no record of them on the Internet. Really? Dates don’t add up. Historical events don’t add up. Her memories don’t add up. The Israeli and Romanian Olympic teams?! Yeah, right. What happened to the brother? The authorities didn’t investigate? The author is a con and the book is not true.
November 12, 2022
4.5 stars. This was such an unbelievable, compelling tale where truth is absolutely stranger than fiction. When I finally picked it up (after sitting on my shelf since it’s release) I found it unlike any memoir I’ve ever read. How this woman was able to survive through all the madness to tell her story is an amazing accomplishment in itself.
April 27, 2021
The premise sounded so interesting to me but alas, I just didn't like this book.
It was too long. She adds minutiae details for her childhood, yet when it gets to her 20's, it is spotty & rushed w/some details left out. She touches on her previous book "Model" which is in direct conflict to things mentioned in that book. I also wanted some more closure info at the end on some of the people in her life.
And I felt no empathy for her family. I mean, ok, Harbhajan/Cheryl was an innocent victim so you do feel bad for her. But to be honest, I didn't feel that way until towards the end.
Her father was insane. Her mom had issues. Her siblings were severely disturbed.
And a lot of the details seemed just so unbelievable & bizarre.
For exs., they were supposed to be staying under the radar yet they stuck out in their "uniqueness" as well as their father wanting them to be Olympic athletes & models.
I will say that I'm glad she was able to make peace with some of her relatives. She was also able to start resolving her issues such as her illness, feelings & childhood.
I did learn some interesting facts. For exs., if she had gone to an embassy as a minor, she wouldn't have been held accountable for her parents actions. But as they used false ID's on her birth certificate, she technically didn't exist. I didn't realize that was a thing.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of the book.
It was too long. She adds minutiae details for her childhood, yet when it gets to her 20's, it is spotty & rushed w/some details left out. She touches on her previous book "Model" which is in direct conflict to things mentioned in that book. I also wanted some more closure info at the end on some of the people in her life.
And I felt no empathy for her family. I mean, ok, Harbhajan/Cheryl was an innocent victim so you do feel bad for her. But to be honest, I didn't feel that way until towards the end.
Her father was insane. Her mom had issues. Her siblings were severely disturbed.
And a lot of the details seemed just so unbelievable & bizarre.
For exs., they were supposed to be staying under the radar yet they stuck out in their "uniqueness" as well as their father wanting them to be Olympic athletes & models.
I will say that I'm glad she was able to make peace with some of her relatives. She was also able to start resolving her issues such as her illness, feelings & childhood.
I did learn some interesting facts. For exs., if she had gone to an embassy as a minor, she wouldn't have been held accountable for her parents actions. But as they used false ID's on her birth certificate, she technically didn't exist. I didn't realize that was a thing.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of the book.
July 30, 2021
Solid 3.5 stars
I was utterly engrossed by her childhood but my interest wavered towards the end. It seemed like she was the strongest one of them all -her parents, siblings, grandparents, etc yet I wonder how much of that is true and how much of that is because she is writing this book and thus has the power to sway readers into agreeing with her interpretations of the events.
That said, this is still a super interesting read especially considering how close in age I am with her. I could never imagine living through the life she had (and I don't want to). I am interested to see if she writes another memoir later in life. I would like to see what she does next because she still has a full life ahead of her and it isn't over yet.
I was utterly engrossed by her childhood but my interest wavered towards the end. It seemed like she was the strongest one of them all -her parents, siblings, grandparents, etc yet I wonder how much of that is true and how much of that is because she is writing this book and thus has the power to sway readers into agreeing with her interpretations of the events.
That said, this is still a super interesting read especially considering how close in age I am with her. I could never imagine living through the life she had (and I don't want to). I am interested to see if she writes another memoir later in life. I would like to see what she does next because she still has a full life ahead of her and it isn't over yet.
July 28, 2021
Yes, but is this true?
July 19, 2021
This one didn't really resonate with me. I feel like the ending was disingenuous -- she knows herself at 30? Lol! -- and ambiguous. I think Chiara and her father killed Frank, but she never mentions it again, other than to say she misses him. We never find out why her mother isn't being persecuted for all of the crimes, yet it's so difficult for her to get documentation. Her grandfather really did all of that for that many years, into his 90s? Why? He didn't even seem that excited to see them. What happened to Chiara after the fight in the Carolinas? The "facts" in this story seem suspicious. Also, there was a lot of boring exposition about being super athletes as children but not enough answers. Ultimately, I was frustrated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2021
I don't often read memoirs, but I was drawn to this based upon a recommendation and the description. The story is delivered via chapters where "location" and age are effective touchstones for telling a story across a time frame. It opens with a young girl, 5-year-old, Harbhajan or Bhajan, recalling her parents' wayward ways, always running from their truth. The father is a thief and con-man, who railroads his wife, the mother of three children, to live a life on the lam.
The telling exposes a vast amount of secrets, lies, emotional, and physical abuse. What's makes up the chapters is distressing and at times very hard to read. Sometimes things don't make sense and their actions are in direct conflict with their life in hiding. Heartbreaking and criminal, there are inappropriate relations for this always at-risk child.
As she ages, and as the truth about her family's blood linkage comes out, she also begins a new life. Which in and of itself is sad. Poverty and sickness threaten to swallow her up, but she also is a person who's learned from it all. I very much enjoyed the last 5-10% as her maturity and grace shines through. 4 Stars
The telling exposes a vast amount of secrets, lies, emotional, and physical abuse. What's makes up the chapters is distressing and at times very hard to read. Sometimes things don't make sense and their actions are in direct conflict with their life in hiding. Heartbreaking and criminal, there are inappropriate relations for this always at-risk child.
As she ages, and as the truth about her family's blood linkage comes out, she also begins a new life. Which in and of itself is sad. Poverty and sickness threaten to swallow her up, but she also is a person who's learned from it all. I very much enjoyed the last 5-10% as her maturity and grace shines through. 4 Stars
September 20, 2021
It’s a memoir and I want to believe the story, and do believe that some of the story is true but it’s hard to not miss how extremely detailed the childhood is and then the adult part of the book which is easier to fact check is quite rushed. The book falls apart in the end, and I find it hard to believe how things just turned out ok without any details? The author took the time to write horrific things that happened to her and her family, many of which could be triggering, and didn’t think of adding a little more about her life after she finally became a legitimate citizen of a country?
Another thing that really bothers me about the author is her lack of any compassion or empathy with her older sister who appears to have been more abused by her dad who she continues to love. She also seems to have more love for her brother who sexually abused her, another reason I can’t understand her hatred for her sister.
I tried to fact check the book, especially the part about the kids training as Olympic athletes and couldn’t find anything. Hopefully someone with more resources will fact check the book and write about it.
Another thing that really bothers me about the author is her lack of any compassion or empathy with her older sister who appears to have been more abused by her dad who she continues to love. She also seems to have more love for her brother who sexually abused her, another reason I can’t understand her hatred for her sister.
I tried to fact check the book, especially the part about the kids training as Olympic athletes and couldn’t find anything. Hopefully someone with more resources will fact check the book and write about it.
September 8, 2021
2.5 stars
Interesting, but I don't think I believe this memoir is true. Maybe I could believe a family of 5 could run from Interpol and that rando Canadian conman dad could pull it off in the 502-70s, but once you hit the 1980s and later--nope, I can't believe this is all true. Parts, sure. But I also can't believe that "Cheryl" was a near-Olympic-level gymnast, AND an excellent age group swimmer, AND a successful model, AND her brother (who drops out of the story completely) was a near-Olympic-level swimmer, AND had/has horrible Crohn's Disease AND her father tricked Israel and a Jewish University in NY into believing and participating in Israeli/Jewish life as if they were Jewish, AND that her grandfather was an important Interpol/police agent in Luxembourg, AND she was paid millions for her first book, AND so on and so forth.
When she's not whining about how hard things were, she's bragging about how awesome she is (beautiful! talented! driven! strong!). The older she got in the story, the worse it got.
Interesting, but I don't think I believe this memoir is true. Maybe I could believe a family of 5 could run from Interpol and that rando Canadian conman dad could pull it off in the 502-70s, but once you hit the 1980s and later--nope, I can't believe this is all true. Parts, sure. But I also can't believe that "Cheryl" was a near-Olympic-level gymnast, AND an excellent age group swimmer, AND a successful model, AND her brother (who drops out of the story completely) was a near-Olympic-level swimmer, AND had/has horrible Crohn's Disease AND her father tricked Israel and a Jewish University in NY into believing and participating in Israeli/Jewish life as if they were Jewish, AND that her grandfather was an important Interpol/police agent in Luxembourg, AND she was paid millions for her first book, AND so on and so forth.
When she's not whining about how hard things were, she's bragging about how awesome she is (beautiful! talented! driven! strong!). The older she got in the story, the worse it got.
April 1, 2023
Vienu balu daugiau, už tai, kad nenumečiau ir šiaip ne taip prisiverčiau perskaityti iki galo.
June 15, 2021
***TRIGGER WARNING: SOME TOUGH SCENES AND PARTS.***
Cheryl/Crystal/Bhajan/Harbhajan has moved from place to place from a young age. It is the title of Nowhere Girl that got me interested in the book. I thought "I wonder why she feels like Nowhere Girl, I want to find out!"
The synopsis of the book is just as gripping as the book itself. I was swept up by the journey and I really felt part of it. Cheryl's attention to detail is amazing and I felt the feelings she did as if I were there.
The memoir is so immersive, I loved it. I really got an idea of the sights and sounds of each place.
Through Nowhere Girl, a memoir of a Fugitive Childhood, you will feel fear, curiosity and everything in between. The writing style compelled me to want more and more and I sped through it.
Having to change identities at all times and obey the rules, the family and Cheryl and her brothers and sisters, Frank and Chiara, live a life of risks, new experiences and having to stick together. There are conflicts too, and some very hard parts. The conflict between Chiara and Frank is especially deep-rooted and tough.
The memoir begs the question: do you really know your family?
I have not reviewed The Glass Castle or Educated and am curious to. I have been before I knew this novel is compared to them.
Thanks to Cheryl Diamond and Algonquin Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
5 stars.
Cheryl/Crystal/Bhajan/Harbhajan has moved from place to place from a young age. It is the title of Nowhere Girl that got me interested in the book. I thought "I wonder why she feels like Nowhere Girl, I want to find out!"
The synopsis of the book is just as gripping as the book itself. I was swept up by the journey and I really felt part of it. Cheryl's attention to detail is amazing and I felt the feelings she did as if I were there.
The memoir is so immersive, I loved it. I really got an idea of the sights and sounds of each place.
Through Nowhere Girl, a memoir of a Fugitive Childhood, you will feel fear, curiosity and everything in between. The writing style compelled me to want more and more and I sped through it.
Having to change identities at all times and obey the rules, the family and Cheryl and her brothers and sisters, Frank and Chiara, live a life of risks, new experiences and having to stick together. There are conflicts too, and some very hard parts. The conflict between Chiara and Frank is especially deep-rooted and tough.
The memoir begs the question: do you really know your family?
I have not reviewed The Glass Castle or Educated and am curious to. I have been before I knew this novel is compared to them.
Thanks to Cheryl Diamond and Algonquin Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
5 stars.
May 24, 2024
I usually don't review memoirs but this one was unbelievable. Literally. I want to trust the author and believe that some amount of truth may be in this book, but there are a significant amount of details that really don't make sense or add up. I don't know how better to express it... but this book feels a lot like Go Ask Alice. A lot of serious things are glossed over without really being addressed (serious chronic illness, serious eating disorder, childhood sexual assault) to then just be wrap it up with an oddly moralistic vibe.
Also, why in the WORLD would parents on the run from Interpol allow their children to compete in something as public as junior Olympic and national-level sports? And how am I supposed to believe that the author AND her brother were both on Olympics track for swimming AND models AND she was also Olympic track for gymnastics? The math ain't mathing, as they say.
Also, why in the WORLD would parents on the run from Interpol allow their children to compete in something as public as junior Olympic and national-level sports? And how am I supposed to believe that the author AND her brother were both on Olympics track for swimming AND models AND she was also Olympic track for gymnastics? The math ain't mathing, as they say.
July 9, 2021
I wanted to like this book, as I typically enjoy a tragic memoir. The premise sounded adventurous. I disliked every character in this book. Every last one of them. The horrible father punched his eldest daughter with a closed fist IN THE FACE on several occasions until her face and mouth were bleeding as well as stabbed her in the leg repeatedly with a pen while they were sitting in a car - all for her perceived lack of loyalty to Him.
The mother silently models a sympathetic and quiet endurance of the husband's abuse and paranoia while the older brother molests the main character. No one has any redeeming qualities. Even the main character has Stockholm Syndrome until the last 10 pages or so. The grandiosity of the father is maddening and he consistently is a gaslighting jerk throughout.
The mother silently models a sympathetic and quiet endurance of the husband's abuse and paranoia while the older brother molests the main character. No one has any redeeming qualities. Even the main character has Stockholm Syndrome until the last 10 pages or so. The grandiosity of the father is maddening and he consistently is a gaslighting jerk throughout.
November 12, 2021
Great novel. No chance 90% of this ever happened. If they were constantly on the run, why did they put themselves in the spotlight over and over and over again? If you are afraid of being caught, why would you have both your kids train for the Junior Olympics, and then probably the Olympics, being that you'd be exposed on their first race in public.
And coincidences of her mom basically being able to see Noriega's second in command, and free her husband, is absurd. Also being at the 15th Maccabiah Games JUST AS THE BRIDGE EXPLODED but her brother being okay is a joke. Also, WHAT HAPPENED TO FRANK??????
Again, great novel, great fiction, and great fun. If I'm wrong, she can show evidence of all of this happening easily. Prove me wrong, Nowhere Girl.
And coincidences of her mom basically being able to see Noriega's second in command, and free her husband, is absurd. Also being at the 15th Maccabiah Games JUST AS THE BRIDGE EXPLODED but her brother being okay is a joke. Also, WHAT HAPPENED TO FRANK??????
Again, great novel, great fiction, and great fun. If I'm wrong, she can show evidence of all of this happening easily. Prove me wrong, Nowhere Girl.
February 25, 2023
"The truth is no one really wants the truth."
Well...I'll just say that personally if a book is billed as a "memoir" I prefer for it to be the truth and I had some trouble buying some of the stories here (specially the ones when the author was little more than a toddler), having said that if you can untether yourself from reality this book is fairly entertaining.
Well...I'll just say that personally if a book is billed as a "memoir" I prefer for it to be the truth and I had some trouble buying some of the stories here (specially the ones when the author was little more than a toddler), having said that if you can untether yourself from reality this book is fairly entertaining.
August 6, 2021
This seemed like one long bitch session about her dad. I don’t know why her unhappy adult siblings stayed as long as they did. To me, there were few interesting On The Run stories. I was bored. Had to skip to the end where there was too much minutea about her trying to get her passport.
September 27, 2021
I have no idea what to make of this book. Is it true? If so, how much of it is true? It can't all be true.
The author was raised by parents on the run for reasons that become somewhat clear towards the end of the book. She lived in countries all over the world and never knew when she would be moved again, typically with only a few hours notice.
Not only was her living situation unstable, but her father was abusive to the entire family and had them all scared and unable to act.
This book was like watching a crazy movie with one unbelievable event after another. There were some details that were never talked about and one big mystery that was never made clear.
The author was raised by parents on the run for reasons that become somewhat clear towards the end of the book. She lived in countries all over the world and never knew when she would be moved again, typically with only a few hours notice.
Not only was her living situation unstable, but her father was abusive to the entire family and had them all scared and unable to act.
This book was like watching a crazy movie with one unbelievable event after another. There were some details that were never talked about and one big mystery that was never made clear.
April 17, 2023
A shocking true story! I always wanted to say that, and mean it. I'm always drawn to stories of f****d-up childhoods. I guess I like to know there are worse parents out there than me. ⊙﹏⊙
Cheryl (originally named Harbhajan by her parents) moves from country to country as a child, never staying in one place very long. She knows they're running and hiding, but from whom or what? There are so many incredible things she lived through and so many twists and turns in her life, yet she seems to have overcome every seemingly insurmountable challenge. Another inspiring story by a very strong, brave woman.
Cheryl (originally named Harbhajan by her parents) moves from country to country as a child, never staying in one place very long. She knows they're running and hiding, but from whom or what? There are so many incredible things she lived through and so many twists and turns in her life, yet she seems to have overcome every seemingly insurmountable challenge. Another inspiring story by a very strong, brave woman.
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