If you really like memoirs then you’ll likely enjoy this book more than I did. It’s well written, honest, and very true to the memoir genre.

Unfortunately based on the description I was expecting something more academic and action-driven, and I was disappointed to find something far more personal and far less informative than what I had hoped for.

It’s a shame, because the treasure hunt in New York City is a terrific topic for a nonfiction narrative, but the treasure hunt isn’t really the point here. It’s just a jumping off point for the sharing of a life story and personal reflections. Fine if you’re into that sort of thing, but not what I thought I was getting or hoped for.

Miller certainly writes well and I can see the appeal of what she does for those who like memoirs. But I wanted the promised treasure hunt and all the historical significance that goes with it, and despite being the purported subject of the book, it felt like an afterthought at best.

A real voyage of discovery. You feel every bump with the author. I was engrossed and intrigued. Loved it.

A bittersweet book about a woman’s search for treasure and for herself. Finding herself in ‘middle age’ Sandra is struggling to find herself amid regret and confusion and the craving for something more in life.
What ensues is an adventure to seek buried treasure and an emotional realisation. I fabulous, heartfelt read. Highly recommend. Thankyou to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

A woman searching for gold on a treasure hunt from her armchair.That would be interesting enough but really it’s her search for herself her past.A wonderful moving read,#Trove#netgalley

I was intrigued by this concept and excited to enjoy a quest story. Unfortunately the author made it much more of a navel-gazing exercise than a treasure hunt. Memoirs are inward-looking by nature but the best ones share some universal truth rather than recount daily life.

This is a beautifully written account of one woman's armchair search for treasure that ultimately leads to her finding the one treasure she wasn't looking for: emotional fulfillment, which all of the money in the world cannot buy. The raw writing about the relationships she had with her parents made her journey that much more emotional for the reader.

So, I was excited to read about a real life treasure hunt, but it was loosely based around a treasure hunt and it wasn't really the main focus. The real treasure hunt was the author's search for herself. This was a very emotional book, but it was well worth the read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

A lot of Sandra Miller's memoir made me uncomfortable, and I couldn't place my finger on why. I cringed a little at some of the raw exchanges between her and her husband and her and her parents, the problematic decisions made. The book felt, at times, like poking at the raw skin under a blister after it has burst. But it felt oddly close to home, too: the restless searching for who knows what, the messy relationships, inadequate communication.

I think her deeply personal story taps into something more universal: a struggling towards closer communion with ourselves and those we love, and maybe even our true source of being.

The ending felt a little too quick for me, but the catharsis is undeniable.

As an added Easter egg, it was fun to discover the author grew up in New Britain, CT where, coincidentally, I had a couple semesters at the local University.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC! Sandra Miller is an author I want to read more of.

This book was kind of a downer for me. It's about a woman's complicated relationship with her cold and rather alienating parents, and sort of a middle age crisis in life, and trying to find her way through it. It's tied to treasure hunting, but very loosely. It was meaningful, but incredibly sad, so I didn't enjoy it all that much. I just couldn't handle the amount of misunderstandings between her and her parents, or even how badly her love interest treated her. It's all a valid story for sure, but it's just not for someone who is as prone to anxiety as I am. If you are too, then it's not for you. Otherwise, it could be a meaningful and poignant read.

I thank the publisher for the free ebook through NetGalley in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

I like to read memoirs/biographies because I truly believe that truth is more fascinating than fiction. I REALLY liked this book. I downloaded my copy in the afternoon of one day and read until I went to bed. I then started reading the next morning and didn't stop until I read the last page. I don't usually get hooked on a book like this, but I had to find out where that darn treasure was buried!!!

The story is much deeper than just hunting for a chest of buried treasure. The author is a superb writer and weaves her entire life story into this modern-day treasure hunt. She describes the difficult relationships with her parents, her husband, and her children. She deals with inner pain, insecurities, and fears that she has held inside for far too long.

The real treasure at the end of the story is the author finding peace, satisfaction, gratitude and her purpose in life.

You will have to read the book to find out what happened to the buried treasure chest in New York City. Yep...truth is stranger than fiction.

Highly recommended!

When I started this book, I thought it was a book about finding a gold treasure, but along the way this book was more. It has a deeper story in it about a female who was trying to find herself. It was heartbreaking at times to read her sadness to be acknowledged in life by her own parents. The story was prickly and sweet at the same time. It gets 4 points.