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Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite
Kissing Asphalt by Delicia Niami is the memoir of a courageous woman who survived against all odds. Delicia and her brother were very young when their estranged father kidnapped them and then took them over to the other side of the world in Iraq. The foreign country was strange to the four-year-old Delicia, but she had no idea her life was about to become hell. Living in neglectful conditions traumatized her, but things got worse when she got back to California with her mother. Abused and terrorized, Delicia was betrayed by the people she trusted the most. However, instead of letting her horrible past dictate her future, Delicia made sure to harden herself to the abuse, strengthen her will, and rise above it all.
Author Delica Niami did a fantastic job of telling her story. The narrative style and the word choice played a very important role in making Kissing Asphalt stand out. The book is divided into 11 chapters, and each shows a different part of Delicia’s life as she faced challenge after challenge. “She’s Ugly” was the most impactful section for me because it set the tone of the narrative. It showed how innocent Delicia was and how tough it was to live with unforgiving parents who saw nothing of beauty in their daughter, whom they should have protected with their lives. I loved how every aspect of the book was perfect, clean, and executed incredibly well. I felt like I was part of Delicia’s story and felt each of her painful moments. I loved how this isn’t a sob story of someone wronged by the people she trusted the most. It is a story of survival, rising up against the odds, and growing up strong despite adversities pulling Delicia down. I felt compassion for her, but she gave me immeasurable courage, too. What a terrific tale of a hero!
