Craft-wise, Gelt slips seamlessly in and out of scenes, balanced by specific summaries. The result is that we move along quickly, indulging in the movie of her life, voyeurs, an audience in a coming-of-age Survivor show.--Deborah L. Hall, River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative

A powerful and heartrending story of personal recovery.--Kirkus Reviews

A powerful and heartrending story of personal recovery.--Kirkus Reviews

If you're like me and enjoy looking in the windows of other families, this book is for you. Judith not only pulls back the curtains, she invites you in and offers up a cup of tea and a comfortable seat.--Mom Egg Review

An inherently interesting, exceptionally well written, and impressively candid memoir.--Midwest Book Review: Wisconsin Bookwatch

Perfectly paced and composed with an artist's keen eye and ear, this is a brave, painstakingly honest, and ultimately redemptive plunge into the life of a girl and woman we come to love, respect, and, yes, learn from. I highly recommend this moving and important book.--Andre Dubus III, author of House of Sand and Fog

With vivid prose, Gelt makes real for us a childhood fraught with family, societal, and sexual tensions while providing hope as she makes a brave journey toward understanding and healing.--Sonja Livingston, author of Ghostbread

[Gelt] opens up her story and allows us entry, where we not only find her story but discover our own.--Joe Mackall, author of The Last Street Before Cleveland: An Accidental Pilgrimage