Well written but in all candor, so self absorbed. Not what I expected at all. Touched the surface of I suspect bad stuff underneath. Just hinted at it. No surprises. Worth skipping. Four stars because she writes very well. ( )

Recognizing the need for change takes courage. Change takes courage. Writing that story down and sharing it with the world takes courage. That courage is what Andrea Jarrell's memoir I'm the One Who Got Away is all about. What stands out about this book is that the story and hence the author is relatable. The book feels like a quiet conversation with a friend. What stands out the most is the character of Ms. Jarrell's mother. Her perspective is a story I want to know more about.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/12/im-one-who-got-away-memoir.html

Reviewed for NetGalley ( )

This is a quick read. I felt like I got to know the author and appreciated the author sharing her story. Reading about the author's relationship with her mother, I could see and understand why she made the choices she did including the bad relationships. Andrea's mother made the same type of choices and she did not encourage Andrea to make better ones.

As Andrea realized, it took a lot of growth and self worth to realize that she did deserve to be happy and it was ok to have a family and husband, who loved her. It was nice that the author shared some of this insight in her book. Although, I do agree with another reader that I felt like the death at the beginning of the story had nothing to do with this story. At least, not with the lack of details and/or reference to tie it to this story. ( )