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The Sky Isn’t Visible From Here: Scenes From a Life by Felicia C. Sullivan

Stars: *****

I received this book for review. It was also read for the Pub in 08 and In Their Shoes challenge.

Wow! This is a heartbreaking story, especially for a mom to read. It’s a memoir of Felicia’s life, namely in regards to her mother. A quick warning right now, this book talks about several topics that may trigger some people: Drugs, Cocaine Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Racism and Adult Children of Drug and Alcohol Addicts.

Unlike most books and even memoirs, this one isn’t told chronologically. In fact the stories jump all over the place between Felicia as a child and Felicia as an adult. The years range from about 1985 – 2003. Sometimes this type of writing is confusing to me but it’s not here.

Many times throughout this book I was shocked. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family with both parents who loved each other and didn’t abuse drugs or alcohol and although we weren’t that well of financially we weren’t that poor. So the conditions she grew up in was very shocking for me. I can’t imagine being a child in her position. It’s a miracle she made it to adulthood let alone made something of herself.

Here’s a quote from the back of the book that says this better than me:

“That Felicia Sullivan survived her early life would be miracle enough. That she has painstakingly assembled the shards of her past into the glittering architecture of this extraordinary memoir strikes me as a considerable moral, human, and artistic achievement.” – Dani Shapiro, author of Family History

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