Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy. All thoughts are completely my own

I was excited to read this but sadly ended up dnfing it. The writing style wasn't for me.

This was an absorbing memoir that made me feel like I was reading about a good friend. It was stunning. Full review to follow on Goodreads.

I loved that the author definitely put herself on display while discussing very difficult things about herself and her mental illness. It was interesting to read her experiences with diagnosing and coping with what she has.

I love my true crime books and this certainly was one of them. Very personal and i found it to be a compulsive read.

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Author, Connie Greshner, has lived and breathed trauma. Her childhood was a place where " scandal becomes legend". Her father shot her mother in a bar in Ponoka, Alberta. This led to a journey through trauma, mental illness and finally to acceptance and her profession. Diagnosed with BPD; Borderline Personality disorder; she offers a glimmer of hope for fellow sufferers. Her personal issues are on display in this book and may be difficult to read it you have triggers of your own. She shares her insights and what she has learned to help herself and others. Noted is the fact she turned to everything but faith to cope.
Interesting and gripping in detailed descriptions of the trauma and diagnosis.

“Borderline Shine: A Memoir” is an absorbing story of extreme trauma, mental illness, addiction and recovery written by Connie Greshner. On June 29, 1979 Connie’s mother was shot to death by her husband in Ponoka, a providence of Alberta, Canada. The memoir begins with the darkness, despair and confusion of the author as an eight year old child unable to understand the change, the profound loss and the whispers of stigma and shame surrounding her family name.

Initially, Connie Greshner lived with her Aunt Hilda and Uncle Jack and was dutifully taken to visit her father at the Edmonton Institution, a maximum security prison. Connie was offered no explanations of events or where her four older siblings were living. Eventually Connie was sent to Saint Mary’s Academy, a Catholic boarding school. Sprinkled with holy water and supervised by a house mother on each floor, Connie grew to find a measure of comfort in the routine, rules and structure of institutionalized care. As an older youth when she returned to public school, she turned rebellious, was targeted and/or bullied other students and received attention from the school and other authorities due to her defiance that resulted in bad conduct and poor choices.
As a young woman, Connie cycled through relationships, jobs, and varying degrees of homelessness. After suicide attempts she received psychiatric care, hospitalizations, and other mental health services. Unfortunately, with her SMI (severe mental illness) combined with alcohol and substance use disorders, recovery and improvement was incredibly slow. A criminal offense was also added to Connie’s record. Nearly every relationship with relatives and siblings were strained to a breaking point. After serving eight years on a life sentence, Mr. Greshner was released from prison for good behavior.
With high academic scores and multiple college scholarships Connie continued her education at the University of Lethbridge. In time, she graduated with honors. Connie was one of six candidates accepted for a clinical psychology program at Simon Frasier University in Vancouver B.C. This should have led to a proud positive life change in the right direction. Instead, Connie barely remembered defending her thesis, cramming facts and figures the night before-- emerging bleary eyed before a panel of academics. After being awarded her master’s degree, she would wait ten long years before finding a position in the psychological field. Eventually, marriage, motherhood, and family life afforded Connie a (previously unknown) love and stability that was desperately needed.

When writing about trauma in a story form as this book, the author must write for the reader. The repetitive loops of conflict and drama can be handled either privately or in the office of a therapist: because these situations happened, or is the “truth” of the author, doesn’t mean such details need to always appear on the page. Without more specific time frames the storyline was a challenge to follow. This was a good and inspirational story illustrating that even the worst of family situations (including those that involve murder) can be overcome leading to happier productive lives of health and wellness. (3.5*GOOD) **With thanks to Dundurn Press (Canada) via NetGalley for the ADC for the purpose of review.

Borderline Shine is Connie Greshner’s personal story of dealing with complex childhood trauma and mental illness. When Connie was 8 her father shot and killed her mother and was sentenced to life in prison (he was later released on good behavior). At the time (1980’s), where she resided in Alberta, Canada, there was no real safety net for child victims of trauma, and Connie and her siblings were left to fend for themselves without any real input from any child services. Connie, the youngest, was bounced around between living with older siblings, an aunt and uncle, a boarding school in Kansas, before making her own way while still in her teens. Academically brilliant she got through high school, university, and graduate school, despite her many moves around the country, and despite her deep dives into depression, alcoholism, substance abuse, and unhealthy relationships.

I related to some parts of Connie’s life, also having dealt with complex childhood trauma without having been provided a real option to unpack and heal, resorting to alcohol to power through a difficult adolescence and early adulthood. Even in today’s world there is still a stigma when it comes to trauma and mental health, and if you make it apparently “unscathed” into adulthood you are then “OK”. As humans we are strong and very resilient, and very adept at putting on a show of being OK. Books like Connie’s tell us that it’s actually OK to tell the truth and seek help. I had a little issue with how Connie continued to slightly normalize her alcohol abuse, mainly near the end where she states that she let herself have one beer here and there - it felt a little strange, but at the same time I’m in no place to judge someone else’s alcohol consumption! Everyone’s path to sobriety and self-care is different.

One thing that I wish the author had included were more perspectives from those around her. The memoir is very much a tunnel vision of Connie’s own experience and I would have liked to hear more from Theresa, Jace, Jax, Jennifer, Maeve, Jo-Anne, etc. We effectively end up only seeing Connie as she sees (or saw) herself, which is obviously not how everyone else sees or saw her. I also wish that the topic of intergenerational trauma and violence had been developed rather than just alluded to. But otherwise it is a well-written and helpful memoir on trauma, mental illness, advocacy, and recovery.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Borderline Shine is about creating a person outside of your trauma that you can learn to love.

“It’s a shitty hand, but you have to play the cards you’re dealt.”

If reading about a promiscuous alcoholic doing blow off a dumpster outside of a dive bar doesn’t phase you, certainly give this a read. I promise you she prevails.

A fascinating look into the mind of someone who suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder. In my opinion, BPD is one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses in the world. It develops differently in people and for different reasons. The symptoms and subsequent behaviours are widely different.

Borderline Shine was told with unflinching honesty about every step of the authors life. It detailed how the illness affected her and the behaviours she engaged in. By the end of the book, it echoed an inspiring message of hope and how if you don’t give up it’s possible to achieve great things. Beautifully told story that broke my heart time and time again, but also left me with the important message of never giving up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What an incredible journey of life this author has experienced and written. She writes about how a childhood trauma can turn one's life upside down and each of the family members involved has various, mostly unhealthy, ways of dealing with that trauma. The amazing drive to become successful in a field that also helped heal herself was quite a rocky road. I applaud her for getting her life straightened out and to be able to reconcile with her family

Very well written and intriguing memoir of the author's journey. There is a wealth of information in this book about both the author's experiences and mental health issues. I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading memoirs detailing events in journey and life of a person finding out who they are and who they want to become. Perception is based on experiences and there are many tragic events and choices included in the telling of her story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I am responsible for creating my own joy

This book gave me so much insight into the subject of depression and suffering from it . I think each person copes with what life throws at them in different ways. Those that choose to use substances such as drugs and alcohol have just chosen a different path than others. We should not judge but should try to understand. I do think they have a long, hard road to recovery.

I commend Connie on her recovery and on learning to cope with tragic events in a less destructive manner. I am glad she finally found a good life and peace within herself.

It can’t have been easy for her to write her story, I am glad she did, because it has given me some understanding of this social condition and those that might suffer from it. I also think it could possible help others to seek treatment for a similar condition, should they read it.

I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Connie Greshner, Dundum Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

This book was a fascinating read on the subject of trauma and family issues. It follows the life of author Connie Greshner after her family goes through extreme trauma in early days, and how it affected her as she went along with her life afterward. It seemed to affect every part of her life, from friendships, relationships with family and men, and even her education and sobriety. I found it very readable, as she kept struggling along, trying to find her way through. There would be periods of great progress and then a relationship breakup might throw her into a tailspin and a total reversal for a time.

This memoir is quite an amazing road to recovery for those who like that type of memoir, you might want to check it out. I found the last quarter particularly well done. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Connie Greshner, and Dundurn Press.

Borderline Shine a memoir by Connie Greshner

This is my first memoir I've ever read. With it's focus on trauma and borderline personality disorder, I can very easily connect with this book.

I rate this book a 4 out 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a very intriguing book, a very solid look into trauma and the cycle it can very easily cause. It also shows you how you can turn your life in a whole other direction, rather than continue on that cycle. Thank you @netgalley for the arc. #bookreview #booknerd #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #borderlineshine

Description from GoodReads:
When Connie Greshner was eight years old, her father murdered her mother. After her family was torn apart, she was sent alone to a Catholic boarding school in Kansas.



Connie’s identity was formed in this strange world, with shame manifesting as rebellion, until she returned to Canada and her brother’s care. Depression, addiction, and promiscuity spiralled out of control as she tried to cope and find the help she needed. Connie’s forays into the mental health system were unhelpful, and, after several suicide attempts, she decided to pursue a career as a mental health therapist so that she could help others.

This is Connie's memoir and what a great story it is. When she was only eight years old, her father killed her mother. Her older brother was the only one who stayed at the house, the rest were sent to relatives. Connie was sent to an aunt and uncle who ship her off the a catholic boarding school in the states. She eventually gets back to Canada and her home in Alberta. She goes to university and gets degrees, but the whole time she suffers from anxiety, substance abuse and abandonment issues. It's amazing what she over comes to have the life she does. She now works to help others who have suffered traumas like she did. Great for anyone interested in mental health issues.
#borderlineshine #netgalley #indigoemployee