Walking Over Eggshells caught my eye as it's an autobiography that spans sixty years and eight countries. Throughout the story, I found I had to remind myself that Lucinda's family experienced a great loss when she was still a child.

We learned early on in the story that she had emotional difficulties and who wouldn't if you lost your dad at two and had a mom that repeatedly told you I don't want you.

The sad thing is Lucinda received more nurturing when she was away at school than she did at home. And many of her other female connections failed miserably as it was quite apparent there was no mutual devotion to one another.

Lucinda moves from one bad relationship to the next and then she gets married and we hope to see some mutual respect between Jeremy and her. They start a family and he seems to do whatever he wants without any thought for the consequences it will cause him or his household. On the job front, he hits the ball multiple times but it does not appear to last long before he is recognized as being ineffectual. He keeps trying to redeem himself at home but it is fleeting as he is self-serving.

As they move from country to country we see Lucinda use humor to cope with everyday issues. She gains more strength and resilience. Even though we do not see her stand up for herself, at home, as we think she should, we do see her striving to help provide well for her two daughters. Sadly, she often does what she feels is expected of her and her lack of confidence concerning close relationships has an effect on her girls as well. One hopes when she marries again that she will be in a constructive commitment.

There are many scenes throughout the book that make me shake my head in disbelief and some that make me shudder as Lucinda walks over eggshells. ( )

I'll start by saying autobiographies are not my normal got-to genre. This one, however, caught my eye. The author managed to hold my attention throughout - without speed reading through parts. It is easily one of the best personal history stories I have come across.

Clarke does an excellent job writing about her journey that spans continents and family relationships - especially mother & daughter. ( )

Walking Over Eggshells is a well-written poignant memoir about a woman's struggle to hold onto her self-esteem while her narcissistic mother endlessly tries to tear it apart. Lucinda tells her story from her abusive and difficult childhood to her life with a betraying husband who leaves her poverty-stricken in a foreign country with two children.

Lucinda writes with brutal honesty about her home life and what it was like to suffer emotional and verbal abuse on a daily basis. Even after Lucinda married Jeremy, a charismatic, but cheating and irresponsible husband, her mother's scoldings and put-downs never ceased. Lucinda had a painful life and even though her story is compelling and downright amazing, it is not an emotionally easy book to read.

However, despite her mother's abuse and her husband's betrayal Lucinda was able to reclaim her self-worth and become quite accomplished. Kudos to Lucinda. She sends a clear message to her readers, self-blame is destructive and belongs with the abuser, not the victim. Lucinda gives hope to those who are still hurting, by sharing her life and proving that even after abuse, happiness is still possible.

~5 out of 5 stars~Review by Peg Glover ( )

I met the author online when she responded to a blog post I had written about my loving, supportive mother. When I found out her memoir was about life with an insensitive, mentally-ill mother whose Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) wreaked havoc in her life, I became intrigued. Although I’m a nurse, I have not had any appreciable experience with this disorder and I wanted to learn more about it. She did not disappoint.

In a voice that is both painfully honest and disarmingly humorous, she captured my attention and kept me riveted to the pages as she took me on her travels through eight different countries while dealing with multiple obstacles—an emotionally abusive, mentally ill mother, an impulsive, restless, job-changing husband, and a series of career changes that had my head spinning.

Through out it all, I sensed an incredible resilience and strength while I questioned how anyone could tolerate such upheaval. I’ll admit, there were times when I got frustrated and wished she would stop tolerating her husband’s and mother’s insensitivities that took her on a whirlwind global tour. That is a tribute to her ability as a writer to pull me into her story. I’ve learned that there is always a reason for why people act the way they do and for Lucinda, it was her survival strategy. She does a beautiful job of bringing us into her world and keeping us suspended until the end by showing us in vivid detail the impact NPD can have on a family. That she is able to achieve so much in the midst of such gut-wrenching, insensitive emotional abuse from her mother and from her pipe-dreaming husband is a credit to her resilience and strength.

Her writing is clear, concise and her characters are well-developed and believable. The plot is face-paced, almost frantic at times but I enjoyed how she provides some relief by weaving in her sense of humor to balance the turmoil that I felt on a visceral level.

This book could qualify as both an adventuresome travel memoir and a helpful guide for anyone dealing with the impact of NPD, either individuals or health care professionals working with individuals or families afflicted by NPD. . Beyond that it is an entertaining and informative read. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more of this author's work. ( )