What do readers think of Ten Minutes from Home by Beth Greenfield? Write your own review.

Because it deals with a tragic auto accident in which two young people die and its ripple effects on several families, Ten Minutes from Home is almost too painful to contemplate, but it’s worth pursuing as it’s a gripping account of this event. This memoir answers any questions we might have about how a fatal accident forever impacts all those involved, from the actual day of the deaths through support groups and beyond. Beth Greenfield uses clear, crisp narration with specific journalistic details that give the reader the sense of being right in the midst of the process as each person faces, then deals with their losses.

I was drawn into this book immediately and could hardly put it down. Beth Greenfield's writing is honest and raw, and I think she did an excellent job of relating her feelings as a young teen. It was hard to read that her parents were too bereft to help her, and that family counseling never happened. I wish the book had been longer and had filled in the intervening years, explaining how she had pulled out of her destructive behaviors. I hope she plans another book.

Beth Greenfield can certainly write. She is able to exorcise emotions from her early adolescence with both compassion for her young self and a relentless, brutal honesty. Readers may find solace in her deeply personal reactions to the death of her brother and friend as Greenfield struggles with anger towards her devastated mother. Recommended for readers of memoirs and for those seeking to cope with their own grief.

Anyone who has lost a loved one will relate to this book. It gives so much important information into the mind of a child dealing with the grief of losing a loved one. Read it and be so much better for it. I couldn't put it down.

This is a well-written and poignant account of a young girl's struggle dealing with tragedy and personal loss. It was very easy to read but hard not to feel the sadness as we read about Beth's experiences. I believe writing this memoir was therapeutic for Ms. Greenfield and only wish that she and her parents would have sought professional grief counseling as a family to help them deal with this tragedy.

Ten Minutes from Home is a very enjoyable read even though the subject matter is tragic. It seems to be very honest and real, which a memoir should feel like. It gives an insightful glimpse into a family dealing with the unthinkable and the very different ways people deal with grief. I looked forward to reading it every chance I had and never once felt like it was an obligation.

Heartbreaking story of profound loss told courageously and honestly.
Through the quality of her writing and willingness to lay bare her deepest thoughts and feelings, Ms. Greenfield allows us to get close enough to truly grasp the pain of the devastating loss that both she and her parents suffered. She shows us how isolating and lonely the grieving process may be - particularly for a child.

Also, I was struck by how the roles of child and parent can become reversed when trying to cope with the aftermath of a tragedy. Throughout the story I was so moved (and sometimes saddened) by the level of maturity she was forced to display and by the insights she provided - about love, loneliness, friendship, grief, hope etc.

While her brother's and best friend's life was cut short prematurely, in so many ways, her own childhood ended at the moment of the impact as well.

Yet in the end, Ms. Greenfield demonstrates that with time and distance (both physical and emotional) one can find peace and forgiveness and hope...

I enjoyed this book tremendously. Beth Greenfield gives us insights into her family struggling with the loss of a child/brother and best friend killed by a drunk driver. Greenfield shares her anger, sadness and guilt while trying to recover from this tragic event. She searches for normalcy, which eludes her. A well written book, that I would highly recommend.