Rated of 5
by Melissa K. (Oviedo, Florida) With or Without You
I found Domenica Ruta to be an inspiring person, who was able to overcome a horrific childhood. The book was difficult to read because the events of her life were not told in chronological order or seemingly in any logical order. The author is definitely a talented writer, but this definitely impeded my ability to really engage in the storyline.
Rated of 5
by Stephanie W. (Hudson, OH) With or Without You
A well-written, painful to read book, With or Without You describes the author's horrific childhood with a verbally abusive, drug addicted mother, who somehow manages to provide her with a good education and the means to both ruin her own life and rescue herself. I can't say I liked the book, because it was hard to read about a child having to endure what she went through, from being raped by her "uncle" to the mortification of seeing her home through a friend's eyes. However, I wouldn't say I don't like it either. Ruta's writing makes the story compelling and beautiful, despite all of its awful, depressing details.
Rated of 5
by Sharon A. (Tierra Verde, FL) To Be or Not To Be
Beautifully written, hard to put down, but an extremely tough story to read about. Many may be turned off about the subject matter, but we need to know about the bad things that go on in the world too. It is authors like Ms Ruta that make us aware of family dynamics that might not be a part of our world. This would be a good book for teen groups as well as professionals, as it could draw out discussions of personal experiences.
Rated of 5
by CW With or without you
Domenica Ruta's memoir is akin to a scab that you can't resist picking. Excruciatingly painful to read, With or without You insists that the reader continue Domenica's journey, hoping for her redemption. Ruta's description of her surroundings is hauntingly graphic. She is able to capture the people and places in a manner that is all too real. As I was rooting for her survival, I was also grieved by the choices she made that lead to her near destruction. This was an easy read in the sense that the story was compelling. I just kept wishing that it was fiction.
Rated of 5
by T'Ann D. (Amityville, New York) A Mature View
The description of With or Without You compared the book to another memoir, Glass Castle. I was hesitant to read Domenica Ruta's memoir because I had found Glass Castle to be very negative and dark. However, Miss Ruta was able to bring humor and compassion to her recollections.
Having grown up in an alcoholic home, I understand how it is easy to be judgmental and bitter about childhood situations. Miss Ruta showed maturity and wisdom when describing her very different mother. It seemed to me that she was able to look back with Pollyana eyes and appreciate her mother for what she was. How often do our expectations cause us to miss the value of the person close to us?
Rated of 5
by Carolyn (Summerville, SC) Hard to say how I feel...
I couldn't write this review immediately after reading WITH OR WITHOUT YOU. It is a very readable memoir about growing up as the daughter of an alcoholic drug addict who wants all the same things for her daughter, and is afraid to turn in the pedophile "uncle" because of what he knows about HER. What a terrible life Nikki had, yet she doesn't seem to feel sorry for herself. I do have to wonder how she could recall so much of her earlier life, considering the amount of drugs and booze she consumed. I can't say that I enjoyed the book, but it is quite a powerful, well-written story, and I hope the author's recovery continues.
A bold, mesmerizing novel about the woman known as "Typhoid Mary," the first known healthy carrier of typhoid fever in the burgeoning metropolis of early twentieth century New York.
Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight...
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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Loved this book. Magical, quirky, enchanting I could go on. All books do not have to be literary fiction, sometimes it is just so comforting to read...
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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of 5
by Melissa K. (Oviedo, Florida) 
of 5
by Stephanie W. (Hudson, OH) 
of 5
by CW 
