Couldn't finish it... and shall leave it on a ledge someplace around the city in hopes that someone else might be able to use it for scrap paper or as a door stop.
Kristie and I share a writing mentor, so why did I wait so long to read her book? Good question! Unfortunately, I don't have a good answer. All I can say is that everyone else should not make the same mistake -- read it sooner rather than later. Her story is incredibly interesting and she writes it in a page-turning way without resorting to over melodrama propel the reader forward. I'm getting more selective in my old age about what books I make physical space for in my home (vs storage or donation) and this one will always have a place.
NB: I'm not marking it as memoir on my shelves because though I know the protagonist shares some of Kristie Helms' background, I don't know that she considers it a memoir (as opposed to autobiographically informed fiction) and I don't want to make that claim on her behalf.
This is a powerful book, and I'm not just saying that because my friend wrote it. It is genuinely hard to take in some places. But note the word "genuine". It is a very real book. From a voice that is not very prominent in our culture: a former victim of domestic abuse (aka a former "battered woman"), an out lesbian, a strong woman in love with life.
Note to readers: I am NOT "Kim" in the book. Please don't ask me strange questions based on your assumption that I am "Kim". Thank you.