Powerful memoir. This was amazingly heartwarming. It was just perfection to read about her journey. Fantastic, highly recommend it as I am reading more memoirs in 2023. A good start.

Incredible memoir. Beautiful writing style. Overall I loved Ashley Ford's book and I can't wait to recommend it.

I loved this book, and hearing it in the author's own voice made it all the more emotional and gut-wrenching. I've followed Ashley C Ford online for years but didn't know her story, and I'm very grateful that I do now.

Ashley C. Ford's story is not to be missed — and hearing her read it to you herself? It gives her story even more than simply reading it on the page. Inflection, tone, cadence — not only does Ford give us access to her story as a child, in this audiobook, she opens the doors to letting us understand how it just might still affect her today. Because some stories are still being told.

Absolutely loved this audiobook. The narrator was excellent and the importance of the work was compelling. Five star read.

This book was so out of my comfort zone and I should’ve known it wasn’t going to be for me. I thought it was fine and really appreciate the author’s writing style, however I just don’t like reading memoirs.

Ashley C. Ford started out with a plan to write a memoir about her relationship with her father, who was incarcerated for most of her childhood, and instead ended up with a book about her complicated relationships with all of the people who raised her. And it's beautiful and heartbreaking and raw.

Ford shares some really challenging parts of her life in this book, but does so with such grace and clarity that it's obvious how much work she has put into processing (and healing from) her own experience.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author, and the narration is phenomenal. Ford brings so much emotion to her words in the audiobook, and I deeply appreciated being able to hear her tell her own story.

I highly recommend this one, but encourage you to check content warnings.

Somebody’s Daughter is a mission and a call to discovery. Ashley spends her life very aware of her absent father. This knowledge defines her, and at the same time, propels her forward. She constantly seeks answers while believing that her missing father is possibly the key to all of her problems. She is determined to discover who she is as she grows up, without knowing who HE is. This memoir follows Ashley from childhood through puberty and into adulthood as it outlines her life as a poor, black girl with an incarcerated father and an emotionally dominating mother. In a world with precious few adults to admire, she has vague recollections of a man she has decided to idealize. The older she gets, the more she begins to see him as the missing link in her life. As she begins to experience unwanted attention from the men around her she ultimately is raped by a spurned boyfriend. Ashley becomes aware of why her father is incarcerated and struggles to save the image of him in this new light.

Memoirs can be powerful and enlightening. They are often highly personal experiences that we share with the writer. If we are lucky, these experiences will teach us about a part of life or a way of living that promises empathy and connection. We sink into the life of someone else and look around the world through their unique perspective. Ashley shares her life story, but I failed to find a connection point as a reader. She is honest and candid, but I left the book feeling that she was reporting to us as readers rather than connecting to us as someone she has invited on her journey. Ultimately, the impact was less than what it could have been because of this fact. She is an incredible person, and what she overcame is powerful. It is always unbelievable to watch someone rise above their surroundings, take what they are given, and weave it into gold.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books, and Ashley Ford for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley C. Ford gives us a glimpse into her life growing up with a single mother and incarcerated father. This book is tough and raw, with so much vulnerability being left on the page. I’ve been a fan of Ashley for a while but had no idea that she had experienced so much trauma from such an early age. This book is a journey and I’m glad I read it, but just know there is a lot of trauma that could be triggering for SA survivors.

Reading this on audio also made the experience even more intense because I was listening to Ashley tells these stories of verbal and physical abuse from her childhood. And knowing these types of things are more common than you realize is really heartbreaking.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* i always love reading memoirs and this one was a great read and touching

Typically I opt for celebrity memoirs over someone I don’t know anything about, but this book was recommended to me by The Bad Bitch Book Club and I’m so glad I listened to it. Ashley’s writing is engaging and even though I’ve never had a parent in prison, I found myself relating to her stories with her mom and grandma. I was drawn into her story and rooting for her throughout. It was a great listen on audiobook, and the author’s reading of her book was fantastic. I would recommend this to anyone and enjoyed it!

I thought this story was interesting and somewhat relatable but it did not stick with me. I did not connect with the author's style of writing or the characters in the book.

I was highly anticipating this book ever since I heard about it, especially as I really enjoyed hearing Ashley C. Ford speak on various podcasts that I regularly listen to. However, I thought this was just an okay read for me. The audiobook narration was great, but I felt like there was something missing in this book. It wasn't that the writing was bad necessarily, but I felt like the book was lacking some "oomph," something that would make it feel more compelling or engaging. However, I recognize that this was definitely about my personal preference, rather than something wrong with the book. I would definitely still recommend this if it sounds like something you'd want to read, and I will keep my eye on any other books that Ford decides to release in the future.

I love audiobooks that are read by the author. There's just something about hearing someone read their own words, and this one is even more compelling because of it. Ashley C. Ford's telling of the story of her life is full of details that convey her complicated relationship to both her parents. It is unflinching in its look at traumatic events she endured, but at the same time filled with a hope reserved for life through a child's eyes.

I couldn’t get into this on audio so DNF’d but I had heard such good things that I picked up a hard copy and I really loved it. I do find that audio is much more mood and attention dependent for me so I suspect I just wasn’t in the headspace for it as an audiobook based on other recommendations I saw.

The more I sit with this, the more impressed I am with how Ford managed to capture her experiences in an open, clear, vulnerable and thoughtful voice. This is a coming of age memoir that manages not only to describe the memories of her past, but to seat them in the experiences of the present. To make the sorts of connections that feel real and heartbreaking and that a lot of times felt relatable to me. I read this in a single sitting and it's quite the feat that a story of such complexity (it is a life lived, after all) felt so simple or so accessible.

Highly recommend for lovers of memoirs or fans of Ford's work or for anyone looking to read more non-fiction, this is a great entry point!

Wow! Somebody's Daughter is a beautifully written and emotionally honest memoir about the author's experiences growing up. From the time she was very young, her father was incarcerated.
She always felt close to him even though she had few memories of seeing him face-to-face. Ford felt that her father was the one person in the whole world who could truly understand her. Ashley's mom struggled with poverty as Ashley was growing up and the two didn't have the closest relationship. Her mom was emotionally checked out most of the time and often lashed out at Ashley. Ashley is open about how she felt being a poor Black girl coming of age and receiving unwanted attention for her body.

This is a raw, yet important story of growing up Black in America. While there is tragedy in Ashley's story, she still shares sparks of brightness. Unflinchingly, she shines a light on those in her life who harmed her and those who helped her alike. In her youth she experienced domestic abuse and sexual assault. She didn't always have someone to turn to but she found her strength. This is a book about family and one girl's perseverance in finding her way despite her circumstances.

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author herself and she did an excellent job delivering her story. I highly recommend this one, my friends!

4.5 stars.

What to listen to while reading...
Sunrise by Norah Jones
I Wanna Make it Up to You by Aretha Franklin
The Way You Make Me Feel by Michael Jackson
This is It by Kenny Loggins
Let Me Down by Jorja Smith
Read All About It by Emili Sande

A truly beautiful story that you will not want to put down. This is a great read to do on your own or to read with a group. Take time to process the story and how you may relate to it. If you have a complicated relationship with your parent(s) then you will see yourself in much of this brilliant writing.

This is one of the most important books I have ever read! I absolutely adored it and it made me cry. This is a brave and astonishing piece of work and the writing style is phenomenal. I cannot think of a thing that I disliked about this book

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
This book was released June 1st. I’m just a little behind on my reading ;)
Looking for a good memoir to read? Well here you go!
I love a great memoir and this is one of those books!
This Author puts herself out there. It is beautifully written, her honesty really shines thorough. Ms. Ford wrote a book that is moving, interesting, brave,inspiring and authentic.

I absolutely loved that when she was in high school she really didn’t think that she would or could go to college. When she realized wow I actually can go and there are resources out there for me. It’s not going to be easy but I can do it! That is the reality for many underserved communities and people in different pockets around the US. If you don’t have some one to tell you that you can do it, it’s possible, or you don’t have a role model that has shown you the way. It’s very hard to realize this for yourself.

Another great part of this book is the talented way she can describe her thoughts and feelings in such a insightful relatable way. The part of her story when she was a teenager and her body was changing and older men would look at her differently, comment, objectify her and even proposition her. I felt such empathy for her, young girls now going through this, and even looking back at my own puberty. Ms. Ford can really make you feel, that good old creepy feeling you get when faced with these situations. Especially at such an awkward and innocent stage in your life.

And lastly her resilience is truly amazing and inspiring! This book is definitely going to be recommended by me.