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.
Reviewed by Lucinda E Clarke for Readers' Favorite
'The land of plenty' is how Arῡnė Savage describes America in her memoir Lost My Mind Here Someplace. Born in Lithuania, both her parents escaped to South Africa, but as long as she could remember, inspired by the media, films, and magazines, the author wanted to live in the United States. She dreamed of it through her incredibly abusive childhood with an alcoholic, party-goer mother and her violent father, who was drunk most of the time. Kram, her boyfriend, helps her to get a tourist visa by falsifying papers, and she finally arrives in Canada and then lands in New York. The accommodation and work she was expecting was a scam, and Arῡnė finds herself sleeping in Central Park. It takes years, determination, and raw courage, through two marriages, for her to become an American citizen, but the path is not easy. From dancer to low-end modelling to hostess, the author found a way to survive. But just when she thought she had found peace, her world was turned upside down.
I could not turn the pages fast enough when reading Arῡnė Savage’s Lost My Mind Here Someplace. Her story took my breath away. From her very accurate experiences of living in South Africa, constantly being on one's guard against dangers, to her description of New York, I could easily relate. I felt her fear of being deported from the US when she was unable to collect the correct paperwork. I lived through her desperation for a quiet life away from the cities and the sleazy jobs on offer. She recounts the past horrors, which she intertwines with her current fight to not only stay in the land of plenty but to retain her sanity as well. Slowly, she begins to realize how naïve she has been, that the grass is not greener on the other side, but returning to South Africa is out of the question. I have nothing but admiration for this author, for not only has she survived, she has proved she can write an excellent book as well. I hope it hits the bestseller list. A great read which elicits sympathy for those who emigrate for a better life in the new world.
