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Somebody's Daughter

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"Somebody's Daughter" by Ashley C. Ford is a powerful memoir that delves into the author's life from childhood to adulthood, exploring her relationships with her family members, including her incarcerated father, strained mother, and loving grandmother. The book beautifully captures the complexities of growing up in a challenging environment, dealing with family dynamics, and finding one's identity amidst struggles and hardships. Ford's writing style is described as honest, eloquent, and heartbreaking, evoking emotions of joy, pain, and resilience as she shares her story with vulnerability and bravery.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by lyrical and evocative prose that captures the emotional depth of experiences, making it relatable and powerful.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around complex family dynamics shaped by a father's incarceration, childhood trauma, and a young girl's journey of self-discovery amidst challenges.

Setting:

The setting primarily takes place in Indiana, highlighting the context of familial instability and the impact of incarceration on relationships.

Pacing:

The pacing is thoughtful and reflective, balancing intense moments with quieter, introspective explorations that engage the reader.
There it was. I expected and hated when my mother said those words. Two years before this call, I’d moved to Brooklyn from Indiana. Now I lived in Flatbush with my boyfriend, Kelly. Back home in the M...

Notes:

The memoir shares Ashley Ford's intimate truths about family dynamics.
Ashley grew up with a father incarcerated for violent crimes.
Her mother was described as stressed and frequently angry.
Ashley faced trauma, including an assault at age 12.
The book explores the pressure to redefine one's identity amid family struggles.
Ford writes about the complexity of love and criticism within family relationships.
The memoir has been recognized for its lyrical writing and vivid descriptions.
It touches on themes of race, class, and sexual assault.
The author thanks her parents in the acknowledgements, showing a nuanced view of her relationships with them.
It's been highly praised and is considered one of the best reads of 2021 by several readers.
Ashley Ford emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries with family.
The book resonates deeply with those who have experienced complicated family dynamics.
It highlights the vulnerability and strength needed to navigate personal trauma and family obligations.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Medium content warnings for discussions of sexual assault and childhood trauma.

From The Publisher:

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NBCC John Leonard Prize Finalist Indie Bestseller “This is a book people will be talking about forever.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed “Ford’s wrenchingly brilliant memoir is truly a classic in the making.

The writing is so richly observed and so suffused with love and yearning that I kept forgetting to breathe while reading it.” —John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author One of the most prominent voices of her generation debuts with an extraordinarily powerful memoir: the story of a childhood defined by the looming absence of her incarcerated father.

Through poverty, adolescence, and a fraught relationship with her mother, Ashley C. Ford wishes she could turn to her father for hope and encouragement. There are just a few problems: he’s in prison, and she doesn’t know what he did to end up there.

She doesn’t know how to deal with the incessant worries that keep her up at night, or how to handle the changes in her body that draw unwanted attention from men. In her search for unconditional love, Ashley begins dating a boy her mother hates.

When the relationship turns sour, he assaults her. Still reeling from the rape, which she keeps secret from her family, Ashley desperately searches for meaning in the chaos. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father’s incarceration . . . and Ashley’s entire world is turned upside down.

Somebody’s Daughter steps into the world of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration, exploring how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them.

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