Review of “Not Really Gone” by Blaire Sharpe

One of the reasons I love reviewing books is that every once in a while I take a chance on something I never would’ve picked up on my own.  Memoirs aren’t my usual thing.  But, I’m so glad I agreed to read this one, not only because most of it is set in my native Michigan.

This book tells the story of Blaire’s “growing up” years and thoroughly looks at how she was affected by her severely-less-than-perfect family.  There are so many psychological issues intelligently discussed – alcoholism, abuse, neglect, addiction, rape, suicide, etc.  The book isn’t necessarily chronological, but rather it feels like she strings situations together that fall under the same personal struggle.

At the same time, during all of these struggles, Blaire holds to the point that her Grandma was her rock, her conscience, her savior.  When other people hurt her, when she hurt herself, when she was confused and a mess and spiralling out of control – her Grandma clearly was the one true love of her life.  By the time Blaire grew up enough to handle her own life, her Grandma needed her to become that rock in return.  I spent the last quarter of the book crying, but it was all a beautifully honest tribute to the reality of losing a loved one.

It must be tricky writing about personal issues that are so ugly, and I highly respect the author’s bravery.  She doesn’t sugarcoat anything and probably upset some people with her side of their story, but she’s at least equally hard on herself, and that adds to the believability of her life story.  The writing is personal, honest, self-deprecating, accessible, and often quite beautiful in its openness.

Definitely worth a read if you’re looking for an inspirational recovery story, or just a story about the power of love.

See it on Amazon!