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Whistled: A Memoir of Achievement, Betrayal, and the Search for Self-Worth
A variety of traumatic personal events, including a physical assault, a home burglary, a school shooting, the layoffs of the Great Recession, and #metoo impacted Dawn Duhamel’s life. In Whistled, she shares her story, chronicling the events that shaped her.
Living under the belief that working hard always pays off, and experiencing success that proved her theory, Duhamel was unprepared when, at the age of fifty, an anonymous, contrived whistleblower complaint was filed against her, ultimately resulting in her controversial termination. Blindsided by being fired for the first time, the ensuing self-doubt suffocated her spirit until, after twenty-four months of questioning and processing, she discovered what truly mattered, and the reasons to love herself again.
Whistled narrates a story of how Duhamel found meaning in loss, hope in resiliency, and courage in vulnerability. For anyone who has been betrayed, fired, or felt discarded, this memoir is about finding your way back to your true and best self.
Living under the belief that working hard always pays off, and experiencing success that proved her theory, Duhamel was unprepared when, at the age of fifty, an anonymous, contrived whistleblower complaint was filed against her, ultimately resulting in her controversial termination. Blindsided by being fired for the first time, the ensuing self-doubt suffocated her spirit until, after twenty-four months of questioning and processing, she discovered what truly mattered, and the reasons to love herself again.
Whistled narrates a story of how Duhamel found meaning in loss, hope in resiliency, and courage in vulnerability. For anyone who has been betrayed, fired, or felt discarded, this memoir is about finding your way back to your true and best self.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 25, 2020
7 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 18, 2022
I did not know quite what to think when my sister-in-law handed me her copy of a book written by the wife of a high school chum, but they'd enjoyed their recent reconnection and subsequently enjoyed the book. It didn't cost me anything to give it a try, so I opened it up to have a look.
On first blush, it does not appear that Duhamel and I have much in common. She's worked in the corporate world while it has been government, nonprofits, and self-employment for me. She started in her chosen field straight out of college and moved into positions of authority quickly whereas I bounced around quite a bit. She's had a long-term relationship and kids whereas I am a lifelong solo act.
Turns out little of that mattered. The details may be different, but the substance of the experience for working women who came of age in the 1980s remains the same. We were ambitious, worked harder than those around us, and did our best to stand on the shoulders of women who had come before. We broke some glass ceilings while others remained intact. And, when we were forced into it by circumstances beyond our control, we reinvented ourselves. Sometimes more than once.
I really have no doubt that Duhamel's courage in telling her story, first as a speech at a conference and then in this book, will inspire many other women to dig deep into themselves and put their energy on the things that matter. Career/financial success is important, of course it is, but not more important than family, health, spirit. It was a pleasure sharing Duhamel's journey back to herself. When I was finished, I ordered some of the books she mentions in this one. Looking forward to reading those next!
On first blush, it does not appear that Duhamel and I have much in common. She's worked in the corporate world while it has been government, nonprofits, and self-employment for me. She started in her chosen field straight out of college and moved into positions of authority quickly whereas I bounced around quite a bit. She's had a long-term relationship and kids whereas I am a lifelong solo act.
Turns out little of that mattered. The details may be different, but the substance of the experience for working women who came of age in the 1980s remains the same. We were ambitious, worked harder than those around us, and did our best to stand on the shoulders of women who had come before. We broke some glass ceilings while others remained intact. And, when we were forced into it by circumstances beyond our control, we reinvented ourselves. Sometimes more than once.
I really have no doubt that Duhamel's courage in telling her story, first as a speech at a conference and then in this book, will inspire many other women to dig deep into themselves and put their energy on the things that matter. Career/financial success is important, of course it is, but not more important than family, health, spirit. It was a pleasure sharing Duhamel's journey back to herself. When I was finished, I ordered some of the books she mentions in this one. Looking forward to reading those next!
October 6, 2023
Dawn Duhamel’s book is witty, insightful, and inspiring. She writes about her choices with raw honesty that is powerful. Her vulnerability is refreshing as she encourages women of all ages to understand their needs, motivation, and inner desires. And her writing is fun and well paced.
January 18, 2021
Straightforward easy read on a career journey. All the characters you would expect in a professional world, making you realize how each of us are flawed but also surrounded by equally flawed people.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews