Ashley C. Ford writes a stunningly beautiful memoir about her childhood experiences, and, most importantly, her relationship with her parents. For as long as she can remember, her dad has always been in prison for a crime that she wasn’t allowed to know of, and her emotionally distant mother formed new relationships with other men. Ashley recounts her experiences with her absent father and her strained relationship with her mother, who is trying to recover from heartbreak and the stress of being the sole provider for Ashley. Somebody’s Daughter exhibits excellent writing that displays the author’s thoughts and experiences, as well as her troubles which touch readers.
Somebody’s Daughter was a gorgeous novel about a black child’s experience growing up in the 80’s and 90’s without a father. Ashley recounts her memories of wondering where her father was, and ultimately learning the devastating truth that shattered her family. I usually am not fond of memoirs but this was an easy read despite the heavy topics, such as race, sexual assault and misogyny. The author discusses these topics with a sort of bluntness that I don’t really see in nonfiction novels often. It’s obvious that the author has gone through serious trauma. The fact that she ends the novel off on a determined note to create a normal life and not let her past experiences define her is extremely admirable. This message made me want to read more of her novels. In short, this memoir is definitely worth the read.