Danielle Henderson

Henderson dives into her childhood and upbringing with wit and sincerity; it felt like a friend was telling me stories. The first 40% or so is more lighthearted (though not without negative experiences, of course), but then Henderson really gets into some serious topics (see content warnings). It's really heartbreaking, what some kids have gone through and survived. It seems like Henderson put in a lot of work to move past some of the events in her childhood and I commend her for opening up to readers the way she did.

This book was funny, depressing, frustrating, and encouraging. I always find it hard to "rate" someone's life experiences, but if you like memoirs definitely read this. The very end is sweet, especially the family acknowledgements.

(Also, it's always astounding to me how much of people's lives they can remember! I don't imagine I'll ever have a reason to write a memoir, but I can hardly remember events from a couple years ago, let alone a semi-complete view of my early childhood or teen years. Bravo to everyone who does it!)… (més)

I have wanted to read this book since hearing Danielle Henderson guest on the Sordid Details podcast with April and Millie; that was in 2017, and it’s worth the four-year wait. It’s a hard listen as there’s a lot of domestic violence, child abuse, and child sexual abuse happening. But there’s also joys of childhood and growing up as well; I’m pretty sure that I’m about six months older than Henderson, but my only points of reference to any life similarities were depression, Sassy magazine, and our obsession with the movie Heathers.

Hers is not a happy story (except when it is), and it’s a really fine blend of her story along with her grandmother and her mother who abandoned her (her grandparents then raised her). Her mother’s story was hard to see as it really shows the downfall of a woman because of a man, and it’s truly horrifying to me; of course it’s just more confirmation of my misandry, but there you go.

It’s amazing how she packed so much in to these pages as the book ends when she’s driving off to college, but it shows how she became who she is. I love that she and Millie now have a podcast every week, and I enjoy seeing how far she’s come now too. I wish her grandma had murdered some people she said she would, though (although who’s to say she didn’t…).… (més)