I thought this memoir was exceptionally done. I had the audio version and it was narrated by the author herself, which is perhaps why it truly seemed so authentic. I really did feel like I was able to feel her pain and disappointment; however, I also felt like she celebrated her life despite growing up poor and being abused. I was hooked from the get-go when I heard that the author was deprived of her father whom she dearly loved because he was in prison. He was in prison for the one thing she was hoping and praying he wouldn't have been behind bars for doing: committing acts of rape. The honestly and transparency with which Ms. Ford told her story was heartfelt. I was surprised to discover that this is her first book.

I truly felt for Ashley as a little girl who grew up with her emotionally and physically mother. Ashley suffered horrific acts of emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of others as well. How she stayed so strong I'll never know. It was beautiful how she allowed her experiences to unfold on paper.

I'm not sure about the written book, but the audiobook included a discussion between Ms. Ford and one of her peers, author and poet Clint Smith. I found their insight about writing a memoir informative and fascinating. I highly recommend this memoir, and I might even add especially if you're like me and aren't super fond of non-fiction. I felt like this one "read" more like fiction and I am a fan of Ashley C. Ford now.

I would like to thank the author and Macmillan Audio for a free audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Not an easy book to listen to, with lots of hard issues like sexual assault, for example. Great narration and will be enjoyed by fans of emotional memoirs.

In her coming of age memoir, Ashley Ford speaks to the experiences that so many black, female bodies are often expected to bury deep. Her story is one of self-acceptance, finding community and love; one of reconciliation and growth. In Somebody’s Daughter, she describes how she navigates life as the daughter of a single mother and a father, incarcerated for most of her life for a grievous crime.

The audiobook is read by Ford herself and is followed by an author interview which provides more insight into why she decided to write and publish her story. Her voice is both compelling and soothing. In her writing and narration, Ford is able to capture humanity - that human beings are flawed; that well-intentioned people can do bad things.

The memoir itself is poetic and eloquently written. Ford allows readers to journey with her, through a wide range of life experiences - to empathize with her hurt and losses; to take pleasure in her successes, her victories and growth.

I was introduced to @smashfizzle via the podcast Unhappy Hour where she was a “guest complainer”. I was intrigued by her humor and the light that was cast just in her casual conversation. I was happy to see she was working on a memoir and thankful to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for an advanced audiobook copy. This was one I also had to get a physical copy of because I knew I would be sharing it after I was done. ⁣
⁣
So often I fear that people will sugar coat their memoirs, looking past the hard things or remembering them with rose colored glasses, but Ford’s memoir is open, honest, and unflinching. She is able to encapsulate who everyone in her life is, how they’ve interacted with her, and who she has become as a result. She tackles themes of forgiveness, courage, and risk taking, while examining her relationship with her family. ⁣
⁣
Ford never shies away from the ups and downs she has experienced. She grapples with sexual assault, deals with finding out exactly why her father is imprisoned, and navigates complicated relationships with a clearness and honesty rarely found in the genre. I highly recommend Somebody’s Daughter, a front runner for top memoir this year.

Listening to this book felt like staying up late with an old friend, talking about anything and everything. It is a raw, honest memoir that is beautifully written. The details are sharp and the stories hit me like an anvil falling from the sky. I loved it and will try to adapt it for the classroom in future years.

I've been a fan of Ford's for a while now and this didn't disappoint. Sometimes memoirs suffer for having been read by the author but Ford's presence shone through every aspect of this stunning debut.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this amazing audiobook! I want to start off by saying how much I love Ashley’s unique voice—she is one of my favorite people on Twitter and I have been anxiously awaiting this release! It did not disappoint. This book was captivating and one that will stay with my for a long time. I’m so thankful for Ashley’s willingness to share her story, and especially valued being able to hear her tell it in her own voice with the audiobook version.

A memoir about a woman who was raised by her mother and grandmother while her father was incarcerated. Her story unfolds well throughout the book and she is a good narrator for the audiobook (although her reading speed felt unnaturally slow and I listened at 1.25 speed, which, of course on the netgalley app made the sound quality deteriorate). A lot of exploration of self compassion and forgiveness and internal work by the author, which, at times, made for a slow narrative. But, expect this one to get lots of attention this summer.

I finished this awhile ago but with life, I’m just now getting to review this now. Wow! I can’t get this story out of my head. I find myself thinking about this memoir over and over again. The only time a memoir hit me like this was for Educated. I’m not saying they’re the same kind of story but how this story has made me think, feel and broke my heart. If you love memoirs then add this to your TBR list. It’s fantastic.

This memoir has everything you’d expect from the genre and more--tragedy and triumph, authenticity/coming of age, joy, heartache, and grief.

At first glance, it’s a story of a girl (now woman) who’s never really known her dad. He’s been in prison most of her life, so she was raised by a single mom. As we get into the heart of the book, we realize the meat of the story is about Ashley’s relationship with her mom--the good, the bad, the ugly. She’s put her dad in that untouchable category… while her mom is left to raise Ashley and her siblings alone.

We learn about the hardships Ashley’s mom faces as a single mom. Ashley takes us on the journey through childhood/adolescence with her mother’s abusive partner. We experience the trauma of a teen rape, and finding out the crime that put her father in prison. We’re in the room when Ashley loses her beloved grandmother. It’s an immersive, powerful read that I can’t recommend enough. Ashley narrates the audio, which runs 8:44. Although it’s at times heartbreaking, the book should leave you with a sense of resiliency and possibly reclaimed hope and joy.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an ALC of Somebody’s Daughter, which is available now.

Somebody’s daughter was a beautiful memoir of young poverty stricken black girl. Ashley is navigating life while her father is incarcerated for rape. The griping moments of her own heartbreaking abuse and the strength to heal and rise up. Her loving grandmother’s role in raising Ashley created this security where she could excel and believe in herself. Such self reflective thoughts as she trudges through so many relationships….the most difficult ones being her own parents.

Thank you Netgalley, Flatiron Books, and Ashley Ford for this ARC audiobook.

This audiobook was read by the author, Ashley Ford. I really loved this book and felt an emotional attachment to Ashley as she told her story of growing up a poor black girl in Indiana. Living life with a sometimes abusive mother and a father in prison (for reasons no one told her about) was not easy. She felt most protected when visiting her grandmother, and would often spend time in her grandmother’s bedroom when she was feeling overwhelmed by the things in her life that she had no control over. Her other safe place was at the library, and she spent countless hours there developing a lifelong love of reading and books.

Not a child who wanted any unnecessary attention, she tried to blend in so she didn’t get noticed. Always fearing a negative response from anyone (especially her mom, whose mood could change on a dime), she tried to be compliant and not make any waves. This carried over into her romantic relationships as she got older, when her boyfriend sexually assaulted her. Her shame caused her to keep this a secret and not report it to anyone. This only increased her feelings of worthlessness and created a pattern of dysfunctional relationships with the men in her life.

Ashley was able to journal for most of her life, which helped put her feelings down on paper, as well as document some of her life experiences. As time went on, she started to journal more about her father and her feelings toward him. He had been in prison for as long as she could remember and she had never gone to visit him.. She eventually discovers the reason he was incarcerated, when her grandmother shares the truth with her one day. This revelation sends her reeling, and she struggles to come to terms with the truth of the crimes he committed. When she eventually decides to visit her father in prison, she gets a chance to ask him some questions and share with him about the journaling she’d been doing.

I imagine this was a difficult memoir for the author to write, as her life had definitely not been easy. There were many painful memories she had to relive, but I really felt her working through her challenging life experiences to emerge a stronger woman on the other side. I highly recommend this audiobook and hope to read/hear more from this author. Make sure you listen to the wonderful interview at the end with Clint Smith!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5. A gut punch.

Page Count: 224 pages
Publication Date: June 1, 2021

“I was desperately trying to feel generally ok again.”

This coming-of-age memoir is an unapologetically honest depiction of growing up with an abusive mother and an incarcerated father. Ford is an accomplished writer and she narrates the audiobook to excellent effect. Her poorness and her blackness are front and center, and reading her memoir feels like a punch in the stomach in much the same way that Tara Westover’s Educated did. The book is mostly about Ford’s traumatic childhood, and I would have liked even more reflection about her relationship with her father, especially her present-day relationship with him now that he is out of prison. This was a difficult but important read for me as I continue to search out impactful work by BIPOC authors.

Thank you to Ashley C. Ford, Net Galley, Flat Iron Books, and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review is published on Instagram (@sanfranliterarygal) and Goodreads.

Ashley Ford grew up in Iowa surrounded by family, a loving and understanding grandmother, a mother who was both hot and cold towards her, a baby brother she cared for tenderly, and a few close friends. Sadly, her father was incarcerated, for most of her childhood (going to jail when she was just a baby). In fact, she was unaware of his crimes, until her grandma finally told her when she was in her teens. When Ashley learns that her father raped two women, it does not extinguish her desire to connect with her father. This is all the more remarkable because Ashley was raped by her uncle, as a young girl in their family shed. Nonetheless, Ashley constantly dreams of the day when she would reunite with her dad.

I am awed by the strength of Ashley Ford, She had to overcome so many challenges in her life, and she deserves the success she has achieved so far. I was especially moved by her desire to connect with her father. In fact, coincidentally, I listened to this as I was preparing dessert for #FathersDay, which made the memoir especially apropos./timely. In addition, Ashley Ford narrates the audiobook herself which makes it especially meaningful.

Thank you #netgalley and @macmillanaudio for the e-audiobook of #somebodysdaughter, by @smashfizzle, in return for my honest review. #5stars

Powerful and must read memoir. Stunning, heartfelt, emotional, and gripping story of a girl growing into herself as a woman and coming to terms with her own tremendous childhood. Ford is a force of a writer and I look forward to reading more of her work.

The best memoir of the year! Thanks to Macmillan Audio (for the audiobook) and Flatiron / An Oprah Book (for the ARC). I enjoy listening to memoirs on audiobook and this was perfectly narrated by the author. The story is so beautifully told with such overwhelming emotion. A very dark-heavy read full of hope and redemption. If you liked Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broom, this is an equally engaging memoir, or vice versa.

Somebody’s Daughter A Memoir was a difficult, painful and brave undertaking by Ashley C. Ford. She painstakingly and with a lot of emotion succeeded in writing her story. She wrote with raw honesty and brilliant prose. Ashley C. Ford had contemplated and wanted to write her story for as long as she could remember. She was able to masterfully depict all aspects of her very complicated childhood in Somebody’s Daughter. It was brilliantly narrated by the author herself, Ashley C. Ford. This debut memoir was impressive. I will look for future works by this author.

Ashley grew up without the presence of her father. Her father had been incarcerated for as long as Ashley could remember. Ashley was not privy to the reason why her father was in jail for a good portion of her life and she never thought to ask why he had been incarcerated. Her relationship with her mother was complicated. Ashley both feared and loved her mother. Perhaps the best way to describe the relationship with her mother was rocky. Her mother was never able to provide that safe and nurturing environment Ashly so craved. Her siblings all had different fathers from her. The boyfriends Ashley’s mother had were not always kind and loving to her. Ashley C. Ford grew up in extreme poverty. Her grandmother was always her anchor and probably the only person in her life that Ashley could count on. Ashley was constantly riddled with troubling thoughts and worries that kept her awake late into the night. She was often the last one in her family to fall asleep. Ashley often fantasized that her absent father would be able to provide guidance for her if only he was in her life. One of the hardest things Ashley had to figure out was how to respond to and accept the changes that were happening to her own body as she went through puberty. Her unrelenting search for unconditional love opened the door to her first boyfriend. When Ashley tried to end the relationship, she was brutally raped. That act defined Ashley for a long time. She had chosen not to tell anyone, especially her mother. That was when she learned that her father had been incarcerated for rape. Would that change how Ashley saw her father? Could she escape the grips of the life she had been born into? She had a brilliant mind and a good heart. Didn’t she deserve the chance to live a life free from the family that shackled her with guilt, worry and the lack of ambition to pursue her own dreams?

Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford was a heart wrenching story about loss, hardship and self-acceptance. It was written with raw honesty and portrayed the people who influenced Ashley’s life both negatively and positively. It was a coming of age story that was beautifully written about a broken family and the influence they had on Ashley C. Ford’s early and later life. She lived with constant fears, heartbreak and anxiety and was constantly disrespected both physically and emotionally throughout her life. That physical and emotion abuse made Ashley always question her self worth. Her story was so inspiring how she preserved and accomplished all that she did despite the life she was dealt. Somebody’s Daughter was both thought provoking and endearing. I was in awe of how Ashley was able to rise above her circumstances and write this beautiful memoir. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for affording me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own. I have rated this book 4.5 stars that I rounded down from 5 stars.

What a beautiful memoir about Ashley’s childhood. This book touches on everything from her challenging relationship with her mother, her incarcerated father, puberty and sexual assault, growing up in poverty, and how each of those experiences shaped her life. Ashley writes her experiences with vivid descriptions that have you feeling you were there with her.

This memoir was honest and beautiful, and narrated by Ashley herself, the audiobook was even more powerful. The way she reads her work sounded like a conversation with a close friend. I highly recommend the audiobook for this one. And as an added bonus, the audiobook contains an interview with Clint Smith where the authors discuss their books that were released on the same day.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook.

First off this book was really difficult to read. Ashley has had some really challenging events and a lot of them were a little triggering. But her beautiful writing kept me going. So much talent. She read the audiobook as well which I loved.

Somebody’s Daughter
Ashely C. Ford

Somebody’s Daughter is a poignant coming of age story, a look back at the complicated and at times calamitous upbringing of the author Ashley Ford and how her past and how she dealt with it contributed to the woman she is today.
With a steady hand and a clear compassionate voice Ashely Ford tells her own story of growing up a poor black girl in Indiana raised by a strong willed single mother with whom she had at times a tumultuous relationship with and how when bad things happened to her as a young girl she told herself that if her daddy were here to protect her none of those bad things would have happened. The trouble is that her father is in prison and will be for a long time.
Ashley gives readers insight into the relationship she has with her siblings and her very special bond with her maternal grandmother, gifting them with both serious and humorous happenings while growing up like why she’s a voracious reader and the tragic and criminal loss of her innocence.
Truth and honesty is at the center of Ashely’s book but there is no vindictiveness or cruelty in the telling.
Readers/listeners who enjoy present day memoirs will really enjoy Ashley’s book

Narration:
Ashley also narrated the Macmillan audio version of her book and in her clear resonant voice she does an amazing job of it. And listeners get an added bonus of a conversation between Ashley and Clint Smith author of How The Word is Passed.