This memoir is intense! It kind of rolls into the ending, it didn't go where I expected, I don't want to give anything away though.

I hadn't actually heard of her before this, so it will be interesting to look her up later. ( )

Heartbreaking, funny, warts and all life in America. Love and support and the knowledge others believe in you can change a life. ( )

Great autobiography read by the author. She unflinchingly recounts her struggles growing up poor in Georgia - pregnant at 13, alcoholic mother, abused by her boyfriend, never finishing high school, etc. It’s amazing the challenges people in different life situations can face. She doesn’t try to excuse any of her bad or illegal behavior, instead she recognizes the people who helped her to be better and find a better way. ( )

I'll admit I did not know anything about Patricia Williams prior to reading this book. However, some of the best memoirs I have read have come from people I was not familiar with beforehand, and I definitely place this book in that category. Her life is full of heartbreaking moments, but yet it still manages to be an uplifting story. She is a perfect example of someone who is a "doer", a person who just knows how to get things done, no matter how many obstacles are in her way. Yes, she might have had a little help along the way, but she deserves all the credit in the world for overcoming really crappy odds.

Pat grew up in Atlanta, one of five children. Her single mother did very little to provide for her family other than stealing and getting donations from just about every church in the area. By the age of fifteen, Pat was a single mother of two. With not many options available to support herself and children, she hustled to get by. But a life of crime usually comes with consequences. When you hit the bottom you can either stay there, or fight your way to the top.

There were two things in the book that just really stood out to me and I won't soon forget. The first was Pat's mom told her white people were better than her. I mean how does that not affect the self-esteem of a child? How would that not crush your hopes and dreams that you could achieve anything you want in life? The other moment was when Pat was told she deserved better than her abusive boyfriend. She said other people told her he was scum, but it wasn't until someone told her she didn't deserve it, that it really sunk in. It just really blew my mind that essentially people were telling her the same thing all along, but it was the specific wording that made her finally understand. It really goes to show that if you know someone in an abusive relationship, don't ever stop telling them that they are worth something until they finally believe in themselves.

The only reason this wasn't a five star read for me is I thought sometimes certain things were glossed over. For example, a pretty big part of the story talks about her difficulty in finding a job and keeping it. But yet it doesn't really get into how she got the job where her husband works. There were a few times in the book that I wished there were more details. Overall though, this is definitely a compelling read and I recommend it to anyone who loves reading about people who overcome difficult odds.

I won a free ebook from Bookshout and the publisher. I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion. ( )

I hadn't a clue who Ms Pat was before I borrowed this audiobook (turns out she's a comedian) but there was something compelling about the way she unflinchingly tells her life story - teenaged pregnancy, life in the ghetto, drug dealing, an abusive relationship. Despite all this, she doesn't give excuses, she doesn't lay blame, and instead appreciates those who have shown her the way, to reach further, to dream. ( )