Courter, Ashley Rhodes Three More Words, 320 pgs. Atheneum Books for Young
Readers, 2015. $18.99. Language: PG
Mature Content: PG-13. Violence: PG.
This book is a must read. I haven’t read her first book, Three Little Words, but can’t wait to get my hands on it. I wasn’t sure with it being a memoir whether or not I would “get lost” in the storyline as I often do with fiction. But it wasn’t very far into the book that I realized I couldn’t put it down. Not only is the story fascinating and emotional, but Courter’s style of writing makes you feel like you are living her life alongside her. This is an inspirational story of Courter’s life beyond the foster care system and her efforts to make peace with her past. Courter writes: “People in stable families have no understanding of chaotic ones. The stronger members feel compelled to protect the weaker ones. Sometimes children parent their siblings or even take charge of their parents to keep them out of trouble and prevent the family from being split up by authorities. Nobody from an upper-middle-class, intact family could imagine the terror of never knowing whether you will live under the same roof as the rest of your family the next day.” Powerful statements like, “We were all politely playing our parts, yet there had been no moments of shared insight, apologies for mistakes, or promises of renewed future connection,” caused me to reflect on my own life, on how I might have handled life in her situation, and ultimately find gratitude for the childhood I was fortunate enough to experience.
HS- ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: SL.
This book is a must read. I haven’t read her first book, Three Little Words, but can’t wait to get my hands on it. I wasn’t sure with it being a memoir whether or not I would “get lost” in the storyline as I often do with fiction. But it wasn’t very far into the book that I realized I couldn’t put it down. Not only is the story fascinating and emotional, but Courter’s style of writing makes you feel like you are living her life alongside her. This is an inspirational story of Courter’s life beyond the foster care system and her efforts to make peace with her past. Courter writes: “People in stable families have no understanding of chaotic ones. The stronger members feel compelled to protect the weaker ones. Sometimes children parent their siblings or even take charge of their parents to keep them out of trouble and prevent the family from being split up by authorities. Nobody from an upper-middle-class, intact family could imagine the terror of never knowing whether you will live under the same roof as the rest of your family the next day.” Powerful statements like, “We were all politely playing our parts, yet there had been no moments of shared insight, apologies for mistakes, or promises of renewed future connection,” caused me to reflect on my own life, on how I might have handled life in her situation, and ultimately find gratitude for the childhood I was fortunate enough to experience.
HS- ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: SL.
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