Jenny Pentland

I read this book as an electronic advance reading copy provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss, and I have submitted my comments to the publisher via that web site.

The title of this book is partially correct: There are some amusing anecdotes about the family that inspired Roseanne Barr's original TV show (one of my favorites). Much of the rest, however, remains disturbing in hindsight. It is sad to see how the author's parents neglected her when she was a young girl and then sought to control her through abusive "reform" programs. Her accounts of wilderness survival camps and boarding institutions are riveting and harrowing. These "schools" damaged the psyches of their young charges, nor did they teach anything academic or practical. (I tried to keep this fact in mind as I read about the author's privileged adulthood. It is clear that she relies on her rich mother to support her and her family because she learned no marketable skills in school.) Recommended for all libraries.… (meer)