When you pick up a memoir to read, I guess you can be certain of two things; either you are going to read a tale of abuse, a heroic tale...or often a mixture of both. The reality is people who lead normal, everyday lives, don't tend to write memoirs. Naturally, when I first picked up Ghost No More, by CeeCee James, I guessed it was a book about child-abuse and I wasn't wrong.
Ghost No More, details, in the main, the early years of CeeCee James' life. I think in her two sequels, she explores in greater detail her late teenage years as well as her adult years. I'm not sure if there are "levels" of child abuse, but if there are, then James' experiences are definitely at the extreme end of that continuum. Her treatment, by almost everyone who was "supposed" to love, care and protect her was appalling, by any standards and one was left with this horrible sinking feeling that her case might not even be unusual, which is an indictment on the society we live in.
Despite the abuse she suffered, James' retelling of her childhood is done in a calm and very restrained manner. Unlike many books in this genre, James' chose not to be explicit in her detailing of much of the abuse she was subjected to. Clearly this was a conscious decision, possibly governed by her faith and morality and for me, as a reader, it was refreshing not to have to wade through horrific tales of, especially, sexual abuse.
I enjoyed the reflective, self-examining style the author chose to write this book in. In many ways, the terrible life she endured, as a child, was often balanced by the whimsical thoughts she also indulged in, to try to cope with the horrors of her childhood.
I imagine it takes immense courage to put your feelings and emotions out there on public display when you have suffered so terribly, as she has. I think it is probably a sign of the acceptance and understanding of herself now, in her adult years, as a mother herself, that has allowed her to do this. I have no doubt there was a cathartic element to this story for her, but she has to be congratulated for fearlessly and honestly detailing her innermost thoughts and self-loathing, throughout those tumultuous years. More power to her for that.
I look forward to reading her other two offerings in this series; Fear No More and Lost No More. I would highly recommend this book as essential reading for anyone who feels life has dealt them some tough cards to play with. When faced with struggles, it never hurts to remind ourselves that "there but for the Grace of God, go I!". The real benefit of this type of memoir is in that very message; the human spirit is capable of dealing with and overcoming even the greatest of pain and suffering. CeeCee James does well to remind us of that in this fine book. For that reason alone, I would happily award Ghost no More, five well-earned stars and congratulate James on her courage and fortitude. She teaches us well.
You can check out CeeCee James' other works here: http://amzn.to/1NKAlHu
Ghost No More, details, in the main, the early years of CeeCee James' life. I think in her two sequels, she explores in greater detail her late teenage years as well as her adult years. I'm not sure if there are "levels" of child abuse, but if there are, then James' experiences are definitely at the extreme end of that continuum. Her treatment, by almost everyone who was "supposed" to love, care and protect her was appalling, by any standards and one was left with this horrible sinking feeling that her case might not even be unusual, which is an indictment on the society we live in.
Despite the abuse she suffered, James' retelling of her childhood is done in a calm and very restrained manner. Unlike many books in this genre, James' chose not to be explicit in her detailing of much of the abuse she was subjected to. Clearly this was a conscious decision, possibly governed by her faith and morality and for me, as a reader, it was refreshing not to have to wade through horrific tales of, especially, sexual abuse.
I enjoyed the reflective, self-examining style the author chose to write this book in. In many ways, the terrible life she endured, as a child, was often balanced by the whimsical thoughts she also indulged in, to try to cope with the horrors of her childhood.
I imagine it takes immense courage to put your feelings and emotions out there on public display when you have suffered so terribly, as she has. I think it is probably a sign of the acceptance and understanding of herself now, in her adult years, as a mother herself, that has allowed her to do this. I have no doubt there was a cathartic element to this story for her, but she has to be congratulated for fearlessly and honestly detailing her innermost thoughts and self-loathing, throughout those tumultuous years. More power to her for that.
I look forward to reading her other two offerings in this series; Fear No More and Lost No More. I would highly recommend this book as essential reading for anyone who feels life has dealt them some tough cards to play with. When faced with struggles, it never hurts to remind ourselves that "there but for the Grace of God, go I!". The real benefit of this type of memoir is in that very message; the human spirit is capable of dealing with and overcoming even the greatest of pain and suffering. CeeCee James does well to remind us of that in this fine book. For that reason alone, I would happily award Ghost no More, five well-earned stars and congratulate James on her courage and fortitude. She teaches us well.
You can check out CeeCee James' other works here: http://amzn.to/1NKAlHu
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