Reading the blurb, this book felt like it was written with me in mind; abuse, cults, and survival are all topics I'm interested in and have read a faiReading the blurb, this book felt like it was written with me in mind; abuse, cults, and survival are all topics I'm interested in and have read a fair amount about, and as a bonus, I am also specifically very familiar with the Angeles National Forest where the author was raised, as well as pretty much every southern Californian city she mentions. I'm also interested in edible gardening and foraging, so I was pretty excited to start listening to the audiobook.
Unfortunately, this one fell short on just about every element. It's tricky to review a memoir with this kind of content, because naturally it's important to be respectful of the real-life experiences described, but I'll try my best to articulate why this didn't resonate with me the way I think it should have.
Firstly, the timeline is all over the place, which requires constant work on the reader's part to retrace steps, jump forward in time, and then backtrack again. It's not very well-organized (and neither is it thematically written), and could have used a lot more shaping of the author's story. The most interesting parts were the chapter openers, which described various items found in nature that could be used for food or medicinal purposes, but even those lack connection to the main narrative; it's only/mostly in the epilogue that you get a little bit more of the way those items were practically used. "Field notes for surviving a cult" is not really an accurate portrayal of the way these things are included.
The experiences with the cult and abuse are also disjointed and lacking in enough substantive detail. Not of the exploitative or salacious kind, but simply in clearly defining specific moments or anecdotes that put the reader into the author's shoes--not to mention observation, how she felt, what she thought during/after/with time, etc., nor even much on how other women and children were affected. (There are some hints with the author's mother, but not much and not enough. Missed opportunity to explore more complex issues and deeper emotion.)
I'm assuming writing about a personal experience is usually cathartic for the writer, but for readers who are familiar with other books on cults or abuse, this one doesn't really offer much in the way of new insights or emotion. I've no doubt the author endured a great deal, and I certainly respect her survival and resilience. But as a book, and as a contribution to the collective memory of this kind of trauma, this one could have used a lot more development.
Audio Notes: For me, authors reading their own books is rarely a great experience. I sampled the audio and thought it would be okay, but as the book progressed, it felt sort of jarring to listen to these sorts of books narrated with such upbeat, light delivery. I think a different voice and style would have suited it better. ...more
Wendy Darling
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Books:
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