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A review by chronicreader96
My Mother, Munchausen's and Me: A true story of betrayal and a shocking family secret by Helen Naylor
4.0
I want to start my review by warning people that there are many trigger warnings in this book, so please read this book and my review with care!
My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me is a memoir following Helen and her harrowing relationship with an abusive and narcissistic mother.
I was drawn to this book because of the title. I’m not a huge non-fiction fan but I do love reading memoirs about people who have lived through a unique experience. The insight memoirs like this can give is so so important. Being able to see the cracks in the system, the moments when they failed someone and caused great harm, allows us to try and stop it happening again. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is because something was slightly lacking for me, although I cannot pinpoint what that is.
What really struck me was how cleverly this book was written. I felt like I followed Helen on her journey. At first I found myself doubting her story, maybe her mum really was just extremely unwell. But as the book went on my eyes opened alongside Helen’s. I was left with shivers/goosebumps running through me in the last couple of chapters as the sheer extent of the situation was discussed. Writing and publishing something like this takes so much strength. I applaud Helen for having the courage to share her story and her life with us. This will definitely be a book that stays with me.
I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in memoirs, although please be wary of possible triggers. I would like to thank Netgalley, the publishers and Helen Naylor for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.
My Mother, Munchausen’s and Me is a memoir following Helen and her harrowing relationship with an abusive and narcissistic mother.
I was drawn to this book because of the title. I’m not a huge non-fiction fan but I do love reading memoirs about people who have lived through a unique experience. The insight memoirs like this can give is so so important. Being able to see the cracks in the system, the moments when they failed someone and caused great harm, allows us to try and stop it happening again. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is because something was slightly lacking for me, although I cannot pinpoint what that is.
What really struck me was how cleverly this book was written. I felt like I followed Helen on her journey. At first I found myself doubting her story, maybe her mum really was just extremely unwell. But as the book went on my eyes opened alongside Helen’s. I was left with shivers/goosebumps running through me in the last couple of chapters as the sheer extent of the situation was discussed. Writing and publishing something like this takes so much strength. I applaud Helen for having the courage to share her story and her life with us. This will definitely be a book that stays with me.
I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in memoirs, although please be wary of possible triggers. I would like to thank Netgalley, the publishers and Helen Naylor for allowing me to read this book and give my personal thoughts.