Regina Calcaterra

It's alright. It doesn't stall and it's not redundant and the story is pretty good. I just finished this book. It's a great story if you don't over think it, like I have. It's MOSTLY about the author, Regina. All 5 children are mentioned, but not all 5 stories are told. Cherie, the eldest, is hardly talked about. Norman, the only boy, seems left out and forgotten, especially at the end of the book when it refers to only 'the girls' and it makes me wonder if Norman holds resentments towards his sisters... I want to know more about him. Camille is Ragina's favorite sister and her story melds with Ragina's. Then there's Rosie... I want to know more about her also. She's mentioned ALOT but her story isn't really told. Read it if you want. It's a good book. I had to skip over all her studies and achievements - I don't find that worth knowing. Tell me where you end up, not how you got there when it's the same story every other college student has. But you gotta skim the pages and look for more of the storyline hidden in the boring section. I guess I'm just left with more questions than I'd like for a book this detailed. I don't like how heavily detailed it begins and then the ending was rushed. Missing important details go on. I won't go into them for spoilers, just saying.… (meer)

Growing up, Calcaterra bounced between living with her birth mother, who was extremely negligent (she often left her 5 children alone for weeks or months at a time) and abusive (physically and verbally), and with foster parents, often separated from her siblings.

Due to the nature of her story, there is a lot of profanity (in the dialogue recorded) and also brief descriptions of the sexual behaviors/media she was exposed to, including some sexual abuse. (She is frank with these, not overly gratuitous, though I would still caution those 18 years and under to read something else.)

The events recorded in this book take place primarily in the 1970s and 1980s and it was horrifying to read most of what happened. There have been some major improvements to both the foster care system and government-assistance programs, which I'm very thankful for but, of course, there will always be more to improve.… (meer)