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gj
(12/02/08)
something like beautiful
This is a poignant memoir of a woman who discovers everything she needs to survive loneliness, abuse and depression can be found in the presence of her daughter, Nisa, whom she raises by herself.
Michelle Cinncinnati, OH
(12/02/08)
A Mother's Memoir
This memoir grabbed my attention from the very first page. I read the book in one sitting. The reader experiences the author's memories of her husband, her daughter and herself through a very strong and focused emotional lens. I think what pulled me to finish the book in one sitting is I wanted to know the "why" of her choices: loving a man in prison and having a child together. I am not sure if I really have "the answer," but I think Asha does a good job with holding the reader's attention. Plus, I now have her first memoir, The Prisoner's Wife on my reading list.
Sue
(12/02/08)
Interesting Memoir
The author and poet Asha Bundele, has a definite gift for the English language. Unfortunately, she becomes repetitive throughout much of the book. She gave me an understanding of how someone could be married and conceive a child to someone in prison. While working through her problems, her daughter helps her rediscover the beauty of life.
Ruth Harris
(12/01/08)
Something Like Beautiful
One Single Mother's Story is Asha Bandele's memoir dealing with motherhood.
She fell in love and married a prisoner serving a 20 to life sentence. A memoir ensued.
She got pregnant and had a beautiful baby girl. Another memoir.
Asha is adopted and has issues with her birth mother; I imagine a memoir dealing with her search for her birth mother might be next.
This book is well written and has some lovely thoughts beautifully expressed but at the end of the story I felt I'd been a fly on the wall during a very long therapy session.
Brenda
(12/01/08)
A Bit of A Disappointment
I did not know that asha bandele was a poet, although I realized that fact within the first two pages. If there was a story to be told, I missed it. The feeling of accidentally reading someone's diary that was not meant to be opened came over me several times and remarks were made that indicated this book was clearly a project of self-indulgence. Although Something Like Beautiful could possibly be discussed and analyzed by a book club, the reading is not for an individual looking for some meaning between the front and back cover.
Ginger
(12/01/08)
Something like mediocre
Within the first few minutes of reading this book I knew I would have a difficult time finishing it. I found Asha Bandele's memoir only middle of the road. Her style of writing was ho-hum and plain. She never fully developed her relationship with Rashid. I would have liked to have seen more of that. Her story is the same as so many women out there who are single moms and struggling. I didn't find her life unique at all. She just wrote about it. I would not read any more of her memoirs nor would I recommend this book to other readers.
Sylvia
(11/30/08)
Overexamined life
The unexamined life may not be worth living but this over-examined life is not worth reading. While much of the writing is lyrical, this overly repetitious and often overly romanticized story of Bandele's love life and motherhood is muddied and dull. This is her 3rd or 4th memoir and I would suggest she moves to fiction.
Christine
(11/29/08)
Endurance
This book was difficult for me to get into - at first. Asha Bandele writes her memoir in stream of consciousness. Sentences ramble (some have 79+ words), and I'm not sure why some things become separated paragraphs. Having said that, I got used to it.
I've not ever read a book where feelings and emotions were always present. I could understand her pain, depression, coming to grips, her profound love for her daughter, her losses and her endurance of life. She continues throughout to open herself up to her work in progress.
In the end, I felt connection.
