This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
S. Jane Gari lives in Elgin, South Carolina with her husband and daughter. Three adapted chapters from her memoir, Losing the Dollhouse were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. The first chapter of her forthcoming novel, Shakespeare’s Daughters, has also been nominated for a Pushcart. Her Idiot’s Guide to the Healthy Gut is slated for a May 2016 release with Alpha Books (a division of Penguin/Random House). Jane has also co-written Flush This Book, a collection of humorous essays.
Her goal for her memoir, and her workshops, is to add to the human conversation about healing and forgiveness. Storytelling liberates us from the heavy weight of the past. When she’s not writing, she’s teaching workshops, editing other people’s work, and tutoring children.
Reviewed by Jessyca Garcia for Readers' Favorite
I enjoyed reading Losing the Dollhouse by S. Jane Gari. This is Jane’s story of how, after dealing with years of sexual abuse by her stepfather, she finally works up the courage and tells her mother. Instead of protecting her daughter, Jane’s mother turns against her and actually denies anything ever happened to Jane.
I really liked how Gari told this story. Each chapter was a box of memories that was opened from her past. Some boxes were happy memories from a life before the abuse started; other boxes were painful memories. Altogether there are twenty-two boxes that Jane opens. I really admire Jane for still being able to talk to her mother after the way she treated her. I do not think I would be able to have a relationship with my mother if she chose to stay with someone who caused me harm. I understand her mother’s fear of being alone, but she was not alone! She had two beautiful children and various family members. That is more than a lot of people have. As for her stepfather, he is a piece of dirt that should be a registered sex offender.
Despite Jane growing up with an eating disorder and mild drug use, she turned out pretty good. One thing for sure is that she has great taste in music. Anyone that loves the Beatles gets an automatic thumbs up from me. There are people who have suffered worse sexual abuse than Jane did, but abuse is still abuse. Jane should never have been abused in the first place by someone whom she should have been able to trust. She should have had her mother’s support from the beginning. I hope that Jane’s story is able to help and give strength to other people who have been sexually abused. A good book!
