The Red Kitchen by Barbara Clarke was a well written and intense memoir related to childhood trauma and the impact it has on relationships. #TheRedKitchen #NetGalley

I often struggle giving stars to memoirs as they are so personal so I focus more on content than style.

In The Red Kitchen, we learn about Barbara's life and how trauma in her childhood shaped her future and how she worked to overcome it. It addresses the impact of generational trauma and especially the mother-daughter relationship. It also shows that it's never too late for change. Thank you to Barbara for sharing her story with us.

Thank you to She Writes Press, Books Forward and NetGalley for the e-arc. All thoughts are my own.

Barbara Clarke shares in this coming of age memoir, her story of growing up at the hands of her parent's complicated and often chaotic marriage. Barbara begins by sharing a memory from her childhood that continues to standout in her elder years; the time where, during an argument her mother held a knife to her father's throat in the newly painted, red kitchen. From here, the author lays the groundwork of her childhood, young adult years and adulthood, trying to figure out her boiling relationship with her mother, and confusing, avoidant relationship with her father, and how it has impacted herself as a woman. I often was left wondering where the story was going, the importance of some of the stories shared, and thought we would come back to that first traumatic, childhood scene. It took a different turn, as Barbara looks deeper into her familial relationships, one that wasn't necessarily expected but important, and I wish it was brought up earlier in the storytelling. Overall you are experiencing a woman piecing her childhood together, and the healing of the mother daughter relationship.

Thank you to Netgalley and She Writes Press for this Advanced Reading Copy.

This is a challenging read with a level of detail which may be too much for some readers. It is worth taking courage and reading it, though, as it is a very interesting account of the lives of people touched by great trauma and tragedy.

I don't recall ever giving a memoir or autobiography less than five stars.. I feel having the courage to put yourself and your family's dirty laundry out there for the world to read is worth five stars alone, AND this time is no different. The Kitchen is the family hub. and for the majority of us, our childhood kitchens witnessed a lot. Author Clarke is no different. We all think our family is the worst and everyone else's is better. BUT we are wrong, every family is dysfunctional on some level, and in Clarke's case, it is just pure awful. There are some graphic depictions but when you are reading someone's personal story you have to take the very bad with the few rays hope the author eventually encounters.
Filled with lyricism and raw emotion, THe Red Kitchen teaches us every family has a past, present, and future. And in that future, you can break free from societal and familial expectations of your gender and soar.

Emotional memoir the author had a very unhappy childhood an unhappy family.She shares with us her emotional sad life. She shares with us her adulthood her trauma from her childhood she is open honest raw in her relating her story she also shares her reconciliation with her mother.Very moving story found it very compelling.#netgalley#shewritespress

It's hard to critique memoirs but this is another one with themes of being a woman, relationships, trauma, and self-discovery, and fractious childhood memories. It seemed like a traumatic time for her and her story of finding herself when in another country is fine but I didn't find it very compelling.

From the age of seven as a young girl living with her older brother and fighting parents through her teenage years to adulthood, the author describes her life rife with unhappiness. Lots of memories, lots of confusion, lots of searching.

Memoirs are usually fascinating and informative and this author's story is a compelling one, too. Her horror at her parents' downright scary fights is understandable and heart crushing. We begin to see things unravel and unfold as she grows older and pain is emulated in her own two unsuccessful marriages. Her liberating Kenya trip shows an entirely different side of her, and of life. Familial and other relationships throughout are described and the changes are interesting to see.

Graphic adult descriptions just aren't enjoyable for me so I did not enjoy that side of things. I felt such hopelessness and sadness at Barbara's story in a somewhat disturbing way, though it is important not to choose only comfortable books to read! She has an excellent and vivid way of capturing emotions, memories and senses.

My sincere thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley.

I, am always interested to read memoirs. Clarke’s memoir was perplexing to me at times. It seemed to have multiple ,themes and veer off into several directions at once. It made it somewhat confusing as I read it. I constantly asked where are you going with this? I don’t think the author has been happy for most of her life. She has issues with both parents, her brother, and other relatives. The only person she seemed comfortable with was a grandmother. Two marriages didn’t work out for her, but she seemed close to both of her daughters. She makes a major revelation near the end, one she had hinted at before. I think she spent many years searching for answers from within and maybe arrived at some solace by writing this book.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but it was such an interesting exploration of family and secrets!

The title of this book caught my attention right away. The red kitchen plays a significant role in the life of the author as she grows up in a disfunctional household with parents who were unhappy and feelings were hidden and never talked about. As an adult, Clarke finds herself searching for her identity in unsuccessful relationships, finally reconciling with her mother and learning the truth about her father.