Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Diane: True Survivor by Ward Lassoe is a powerful and intensely personal biography of Diane, an ordinary woman who led a tough, uncompromising, and often traumatic life. Born in 1960 to a prostitute in London, Diane was abandoned as a baby and spent her first nine years in a warm, loving, and safe group foster home in Guildford, south of London. Diane’s trials began when she was nine years old when her birth mother reclaimed her and her brother, taking them to America, far from the people she had always called Mom and Dad and the other children she believed were her brothers and sisters. In New York’s ghetto of the South Bronx, she was like a fish out of water, both in her predominantly black neighborhood and her school. After suffering constant physical abuse from her mother and stepfather plus sexual abuse from her stepfather, she decides to run away from home. Pregnant from her boyfriend, Diane begins her life as a runaway at just fourteen. She discovers on the streets a succession of “angels” in her life who help her and point her in the right direction. Despite her “angels,” Diane will continue to make poor decisions that determine the future direction of her life.

Diane: True Survivor is a stunning work that will pierce the heart of even the most cynical reader. This young girl had every conceivable odd stacked against her and yet she showed that perseverance, resilience, and a hope for something better can often be enough to survive even the most trying of times. Author Ward Lassoe has done Diane justice in bringing this powerful narrative of one woman’s struggle to life. I particularly appreciated the difficulties Diane experienced in adjusting to life in the predominantly black South Bronx ghetto. She wasn’t black and yet she wasn’t truly white either; she straddled both worlds, not fitting into either. Her apparent naivete, at times, was astounding and yet she willingly, time and again, placed her trust and hopes in people who had hurt or disappointed her in the past. What made her special, in my opinion, was her self-awareness. She did understand her vulnerabilities and weaknesses yet she willingly put herself in those potentially dangerous positions. The wisdom about life, love, and purpose that she imparted in her words belied the trauma and bitterness of her childhood and adult life. Despite her initial mercenary intent, her fostering of so many children, along with her own, showed just how loving, thoughtful, and caring she was. Yes, there was horror, suffering, and degradation in her life and yet she stands out as a beacon to all those who have suffered a similar fate. She is a testament to the idea that you can overcome anything life may throw at you, however unfair it may seem, and you can come out the other side without losing your basic humanity, love for life, and love of others. This is a wonderful read that I highly recommend.