#MacmillanAudio Review of Somebody's Daughter by Ashley Ford narrated by the author

Today its my pleasure to present my #MacmillanAudio review of Somebody's Daughter by Ashley Ford also narrated by the author.
Enjoy!

ASIN: B08GF1M3ZX
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 6-1-2021
Length: 8hours 44minutes
Source: Macmillan Audio for review
Buy It: Audible

Overview:

“Sure to be one of the best memoirs of 2021.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“So clear, sharp, and smooth that the reader sees, in vivid focus, Ford’s complicated childhood, brilliant mind, and golden heart. Ford is a writer for the ages, and Somebody’s Daughter will be a book of the year.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed

“Ford’s wrenchingly brilliant memoir is truly a classic in the making. The writing is so richly observed and so suffused with love and yearning that I kept forgetting to breathe while reading it.” —John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author

One of the most prominent voices of her generation debuts with an extraordinarily powerful memoir: the story of a childhood defined by the looming absence of her incarcerated father.

Through poverty, adolescence, and a fraught relationship with her mother, Ashley Ford wishes she could turn to her father for hope and encouragement. There are just a few problems: he’s in prison, and she doesn’t know what he did to end up there. She doesn’t know how to deal with the incessant worries that keep her up at night, or how to handle the changes in her body that draw unwanted attention from men. In her search for unconditional love, Ashley begins dating a boy her mother hates. When the relationship turns sour, he assaults her. Still reeling from the rape, which she keeps secret from her family, Ashley desperately searches for meaning in the chaos. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father’s incarceration . . . and Ashley’s entire world is turned upside down.

Somebody’s Daughter steps into the world of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration, exploring how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them.

MacmillanAudio · Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford, audiobook excerpt

My Macmillan Audio Review:

Somebody’s Daughter
Ashely C. Ford

Somebody’s Daughter is a poignant coming of age story, a look back at the complicated and at times calamitous upbringing of the author Ashley Ford and how her past and how she dealt with it contributed to the woman she is today.

With a steady hand and a clear compassionate voice Ashely Ford tells her own story of growing up a poor black girl in Indiana raised by a strong willed single mother with whom she had at times a tumultuous relationship with and how when bad things happened to her as a young girl she told herself that if her daddy were here to protect her none of those bad things would have happened. The trouble is that her father is in prison and will be for a long time.
Ashley gives readers insight into the relationship she has with her siblings and her very special bond with her maternal grandmother, gifting them with both serious and humorous happenings while growing up like why she’s a voracious reader and the tragic and criminal loss of her innocence.
Truth and honesty is at the center of Ashely’s book but there is no vindictiveness or cruelty in the telling.
Readers/listeners who enjoy present day memoirs will really enjoy Ashley’s book

Narration:
Ashley also narrated the Macmillan audio version of her book and in her clear resonant voice she does an amazing job of it. And listeners get an added bonus of a conversation between Ashley and Clint Smith author of How The Word is Passed.

Praise:

“Sure to be one of the best memoirs of 2021.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Somebody’s Daughter will leave readers gasping for air." —Natachi Onwuamaegbu, The Boston Globe

"This remarkable, heart-wrenching story of loss, hardship, and self-acceptance astounds." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A shining example of story and craft that embodies how exquisite a memoir can be." —Sarah Neilson, The Seattle Times

"This is a memoir about love, live, and freedom. It's not just good — it's beautiful." —Brené Brown

“A memoir so clear, sharp, and smooth that the reader sees, in vivid focus, Ashley C. Ford’s complicated childhood, brilliant mind, and golden heart. The gravity and urgency of Somebody’s Daughter anchored me to my chair and slowed my heartbeat. Ashley C. Ford is a writer for the ages, and Somebody’s Daughter will be a book of the year.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed

“Ashley C. Ford’s wrenchingly brilliant memoir is truly a classic in the making. Ford’s writing is so richly observed and so suffused with love and yearning that I kept forgetting to breathe while reading it.” —John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A remarkable debut." —Lesley Williams, Booklist

"Those starved to feel something post-pandemic are sure to be jolted back to life by this brilliant memoir." —Steph Buschardt, Publishers Weekly

About the author:
Ashley C. Ford is a writer, host, and educator who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband, poet and fiction writer Kelly Stacy, and their chocolate lab Astro Renegade Ford-Stacy. Ford is the former host of The Chronicles of Now podcast, co-host of The HBO companion podcast Lovecraft Country Radio, seasons one & three of MasterCard’s Fortune Favors The Bold, as well as the video interview series PROFILE by BuzzFeed News, and Brooklyn-based news & culture TV show, 112BK.
She was also the host of the first season of Audible's literary interview series, Authorized. She has been named among Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Media (2017), Brooklyn Magazine's Brooklyn 100 (2016), Time Out New York's New Yorkers of The Year (2017), and Variety’s New Power of New York (2019).