As usual, I didn't pay anything for this book but instead it came to me as a gift from the author who happened upon my Facebook page and asked me if I'd like to read and review her work.

Ms. Smith's stories center around women who are in their darkest hour. The author is abundantly adept at finding a raw emotional nerve and quietly hitting it with a large and heavy hammer. She deals quite potently and effectively with the subjects of abuse, addiction, prostitution, classism and death in her stories in a way that is honest and evocative. Smith pulls no punches as she writes about the darkest corners of life.

Qualitatively speaking, I have to admit to a bit of initial skepticism. When an author approaches you out of the blue with their work the outcome is almost always one in which you’re trying desperately to find something nice to say about it. The chances, after all, of finding a book that’s previously undiscovered and unappreciated are pretty small. In this case, the challenge is trying to find anything negative to say about it. Smith’s work is delightfully impassioned and she’s unafraid to reveal to her readers a desperately dark and unapologetic storyline. I judge much about a book based on how ready I am for it to finally be over but all of Smith’s stories have a gripping potency that is very satisfying. I am, frankly, stunned that this book has no reviews on either Amazon or GoodReads. This one deserves a lot more attention than it’s getting.

On the negative side, the only thing I would really say is that the book does seem to be a bit thematically scattered. The author covers such a range of topics that it’s hard to know exactly what to expect. As an example, the first story is one of classist snobbery and first-world centrism. While a great story with a wonderful point to make (that a lot more people should take to heart) it doesn’t really seem to fit. In general, the book seems to fall more in line with her marvelous story, “Unspeakable,” in which she describes an episode of chronic child abuse from the psyche of the abuser. It’s that dark and meaty writing that makes this a wonderful book.

In summary, simply the best unsolicited book I’ve received. Smith not only writes beautifully and emotionally but she makes a point at the same time. I spend a LOT of time reading and reviewing books and if they were all like this then that task would be significantly more enjoyable. This book is abundantly and unabashedly worth it.


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As usual, I didn't pay anything for this book but instead it came to me as a gift from the author who happened upon my Facebook page and asked me if I'd like to read and review her work.

Ms. Smith's stories center around women who are in their darkest hour. The author is abundantly adept at finding a raw emotional nerve and quietly hitting it with a large and heavy hammer. She deals quite potently and effectively with the subjects of abuse, addiction, prostitution, classism and death in her stories in a way that is honest and evocative. Smith pulls no punches as she writes about the darkest corners of life.

Qualitatively speaking, I have to admit to a bit of initial skepticism. When an author approaches you out of the blue with their work the outcome is almost always one in which you’re trying desperately to find something nice to say about it. The chances, after all, of finding a book that’s previously undiscovered and unappreciated are pretty small. In this case, the challenge is trying to find anything negative to say about it. Smith’s work is delightfully impassioned and she’s unafraid to reveal to her readers a desperately dark and unapologetic storyline. I judge much about a book based on how ready I am for it to finally be over but all of Smith’s stories have a gripping potency that is very satisfying. I am, frankly, stunned that this book has no reviews on either Amazon or GoodReads. This one deserves a lot more attention than it’s getting.

On the negative side, the only thing I would really say is that the book does seem to be a bit thematically scattered. The author covers such a range of topics that it’s hard to know exactly what to expect. As an example, the first story is one of classist snobbery and first-world centrism. While a great story with a wonderful point to make (that a lot more people should take to heart) it doesn’t really seem to fit. In general, the book seems to fall more in line with her marvelous story, “Unspeakable,” in which she describes an episode of chronic child abuse from the psyche of the abuser. It’s that dark and meaty writing that makes this a wonderful book.

In summary, simply the best unsolicited book I’ve received. Smith not only writes beautifully and emotionally but she makes a point at the same time. I spend a LOT of time reading and reviewing books and if they were all like this then that task would be significantly more enjoyable. This book is abundantly and unabashedly worth it. ( )