Memoir | Self-Publishing Review

Rotten Fruit in an Unkempt Garden by Michael Nanfito

A raw, unusual, and unforgettable memoir, Rotten Fruit in an Unkempt Garden by Michael Nanfito is a collection of personal essays, poetry, art, quotes, and reflections that encapsulate a remarkable life and an inspiring worldview.

Exploring outlaw living, alternative perspectives, and universal themes of lost love and opportunity, this patchwork offering of thoughts and memories is powerful and intimate. The opening section focuses heavily on religion, and Nanfito’s experience with patriarchal betrayals, both psychological and physical, and closes on a damning note: “We’ve yet to evict these faithless landlords / from the spaces that were always ours.” The writing then […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-14T06:49:16+02:00January 14th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir, Poetry|

Review: Under the Orange Blossoms by Cindy Benezra

An emotionally vulnerable, authentic memoir about enduring horrific childhood trauma and learning how to cope and survive, Cindy Benezra’s Under the Orange Blossoms is a testament to human strength and the power of positivity.

When living with her mother and sister in Spain at age 17, author Benezra started having frightening, visceral nightmares about being sexually abused by her father when she was younger. Uncovering these painful memories lead her down a difficult path of emotional strife, suicidal ideation, dissociative episodes, reckless daredevil behavior, and withdrawal from friends and family, all while her parents’ problematic relationship lingered off and on […]

Michelle Hogmire2022-01-06T07:03:09+02:00January 5th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir|

Review: Dutch Preacher Boy by Tuna Fisch

From the life of an immigrant in Western Michigan to the overwhelming allure of Los Angeles and the sweat-soaked streets of Latin America, Dutch Preacher Boy: Coming of Age in Grand Rapids, Taking Wing Beyond* by Tuna Fisch is an unpredictable and deeply compelling memoir.

The author’s unforgettable childhood in the beauty of Holland and his exciting journey to the “New World” sets the tone for the story, summoned by a razor-sharp memory and the ability to paint rich and immersive scenes, even from five decades ago. His sense of childlike wonder and excitement is everywhere in the prose, which […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-02-14T04:39:17+02:00January 3rd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir|

Review: The Last Leadholders: Quest for Fulfillment by Richard Deatherage

Author Richard Deatherage unravels his fascinating life and universally relatable struggles in The Last Leadholders: Quest for Fulfillment, an honest, timely, and thought-provoking memoir.

After a lifetime of adapting to change and finding ways to persevere, the author faced one of his biggest challenges in 2008 – finding a way forward in a career that was rapidly entering the 21st century, potentially leaving him behind. Like Proust’s madeleine, this watershed moment kicks off a stream of far-flung recollections, retold in both stark and vivid detail, resulting in a powerful and deeply personal chronicle of a life. From hilarious anecdotes […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-02-02T05:22:00+02:00December 20th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir, Richard Deatherage|

Giving Back: Memories, Reflections, and Lessons Learned by Edward A. Joseph

Wisely worded recollections from slightly simpler times, author Edward A. Joseph bares his soul in Giving Back: Memories, Reflections, and Lessons Learned, a heartwarming, powerful, and easy-to-read collection.

With an impressive career as a published storyteller, these personal and previously published stories are healthy, honest, and unafraid to probe the deeper meaning behind the simple joys and moments of life. From cinematic childhood misadventures as a caddy to his brief but hilariously recounted time as a car salesman, Joseph peels back his losses, victories, and discoveries with a smirk and a shrug.

Summoning full-bodied characters, eras, and visceral moments, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-13T08:05:25+02:00October 13th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir|

Review: The Roar of Ordinary by J.C. Foster

A sibling’s love embraces those he has lost, most especially the brother with whom he grew up and shared ambitions, dreams, and a remarkably mature philosophy in The Roar of Ordinary: Brothers, Sisters, War, and Fate, an emotive memoir by J.C. Foster.

The saga of Foster’s family could begin when his father Chuck, in mid-adolescence, rebelled against his overbearing father and struck out on his own as America was struggling under the deprivations of the Great Depression. That independent spirit undoubtedly influenced both Foster and his younger brother Steve. Two tragic deaths left Chuck alone with an invalid daughter […]

SPR2021-12-01T08:06:22+02:00October 12th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir|

Sardinian Days and Italian Nights by Steve Amoia

Digging back through a lifetime to his transformative travels as a young man, author Steve Amoia transports readers to a different age in Sardinian Days and Italian Nights, an illuminating and reflective travelogue.

In this impressively detailed look back at the history-drenched Italian landscape and the legendary realm of Sardinia, readers will be able to immerse themselves in the vivid descriptions of the sea, the aromas, the emotions, and much more. A coming-of-age story told from the wisened perspective of hindsight, this travel memoir is self-reflective, but the memories themselves don’t feel edited or embellished.

For those who have […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-07-08T05:35:26+02:00July 7th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Memoir, Travel|

Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal History by Barbara Miller

With the heart of an activist and the mind of a scholar, author Barbara Miller delivers a powerful message in Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal History, A Memoir.

For those unfamiliar with the plight and struggle for rights of the First Nations people in Australia, this passionate and deeply researched book shines a light on what Aboriginal really means, and the weight such a title bears. Delving into the political machinations, racism, and historical oppression in this oft-overlooked part of the world, the author is unabashed in her reporting on the past five decades, and […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-06-28T06:12:10+02:00June 28th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: History, Memoir|