Muse Reviews » Memoir of an author’s daughter.

Memoir of an author’s daughter.

Already an accomplished author, Kaylie Jones has freshly published a memoir all about her growing up years. Lies My Mother Never Told Me is, in one word, gripping. I snatched up this book to read and review because it was a memoir (my favorite genre), but I found myself becoming absorbed into her story just because it was so enslaving.

Kaylie is the daughter of the famous American author James Jones, whose books The Thin Red Line and From Here to Eternitywere immensely popular and later made into major motion pictures. Her relationship with her father is recounted, but it gives way to the extremely complicated and tumultuous relationship she had with her mother even more so, especially after her father passes away.

This book takes you right into the front lines of life living with an alcoholic….more specifically. an unlabeled alcoholic. Kaylie grows up believing what she sees, hears, and experiences is normal. It’s only when she grows older and gains the insight from others that she begins to question the lens through which she’d been viewing reality.

Her mother’s hateful words and subtle (and not so subtle) jabbing all throughout her childhood, adolescent, and early adulthood years began to efface her self worth and clarity. Slowly, dangerously, undeliberately, Kaylie finds that she is beginning to follow behind her mother into the dark, skewed spiral of alcoholism.

After she marries and has a child, she becomes adamant that her mother’s poisonous lifestyle or habits will not rub off onto her and her relationship with her small daughter. Piece by piece, she begins to chip away at the mystery and the confusion that has been covered up and overshadowed for years, coming to grips with her past while trying to remedy her and her daughter’s future.

“It certainly had not been my intention to upset Eyrna with Are You My Mother? I thought about it for the next couple of days, wondering why it had terrified her so, and why I’d liked it so much as a little girl. I realized that Eyrna had never for a second been away from me or wondered if I was coming back; I, as a little girl, anxiously wondered all the time where my mother was and if she’d return to me. The book was a great comfort to me, but for Eyrna, it was a fear she’d never known.” (Segment taken from page 256 of the pre-released version.)

You can buy Kaylie Jones’ Lies My Mother Never Told Me for $25.99 wherever books or sold, including online at HarperCollins.com.

Win it! Courtesy of HarperCollins, I have three copies of Lies My Mother Never Told Me for a giveaway! Simply tell me, in a comment below, another book by HarperCollins that caught your eye and that you’d love to read. I’ll close the contest next Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US entries only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congratulations to:
#12, Sheila
#19, Rebecca
and #28, Sofia!

33 Comments so far
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I love reading memoirs! I would also like to read the book Not Lost Forever.

I would love to read Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates. As an English teacher, I’ve grown very fond of her work (and so have my students).

I’d love to read Under This Unbroken Sky
By Shandi Mitchell

What an interesting and intriguing memoir!
Another book that I saw on Harper Collins is Bloodborn by Kathryn Fox. It also sounds like a good book to read.
Many thanks, Cindi

I would like to read The Christmas Scrapbook
By Philip Gulley. I LOVE Christmas stories. I’m also a big Diane Mott Davidson fan so any of her books would be on my list! Thanks for a great giveaway!

Just reading a bit about Not Lost Forever has my hooked on their site. It definitely looks like an interesting read too. Thanks for the chance to enter.

I also would love to read the

The Black Hand By Chris Blatchford

Sounds really good!

I think the Not Lost Forever By Carmina Salcido, looks interesting, but so sad to think the father goes on a killing rampage.

Little Bird of Heaven looks dramatic. one of those books you cant put down, thats how i like them.

I would like to read The Birth House By Amy McKay

Come Back, Cosmo by Steven Winn sounds really cute since I really love dogs! Thanks for entering me into this giveaway.

I would also love to read The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
sricher721@yahool.com

I also love Memoirs. The book that caught my eye is PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

Thanks for the giveaway!

GigglesandLollipops at gmail dot com

To start, I think the The Visual Miscellaneum looks interesting… too many books to choose from!

Thanks for a chance to win!

Hugs,
Jamie
jamiejaws AT gmail.com

I’m interested to read “The Price of Love and Other Stories” by Peter Robinson. I love Inspector Banks!

I would like to read Freakonomics

I am 100% in agreement with you — the memoir is easily my favorite genre. After checking out the HarperCollins website, I would really love to read Weekends at Bellevue by Julie Holland.
Thanks!

I would enjoy Return to Sullivan’s Island – always love to read about the lowcountry!

Not Lost Forever looked appealed to me. I enjoy reading memoirs so this looks like a good one! Thanks foe the chance to win the Lies book! bekki1820cb@gmail.com

I would like to read the Christmas scrapbook, thansk.

I would Love to read this book! I love bios and with love to read Farrah’s story by her best friend,Alana Stewert. Thanks!

“A Silent Ocean Away” looks like a very interesting historical novel!

I would also like to read Celeste Ascending.

“The Child Thief” by Brom looks amazing!

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy looks great!

I would like to read Michelle and Barack! I find them fascinating!

Thanks for the contest!

I would love to read Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippmann. I love her books!

I would like “ramona and her Mother”
by Beverly Cleary. I loved her books as a child/teenager
Sofia

Come Back, Como by Steven Winn
what an interesting book that would be.
V G

If I had “Sharks” by Seymour Simon I would give it to my 6 year old grandson.
Barbro

I’d love to read the Guardian of Lies
By Steve Martini.

I would read the PostSecret book, too.

I think I would also enjoy reading Crush It! thanks for the chance to win eaglesforjack@gmail.com

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