The Many Lives of Mama Love taught me more about the mindset of an addict. It is crazy to see how one part of Lara's brain knew she needed to stop but she was helpless to actually do it until the possibility of losing her child motivated her. I also appreciated learning the wacky way our penal system expects their prisoners to jump thru unreasonable hoops. This seems like something that could be fixed if people started working together. I would have appreciated more detail about her day to day life behind bars. At the same time, I appreciated seeing all the work she did to get her life back on track. This book should be required reading in high school. People need to see there are consequences to their actions so choose wisely.

The Many Lives of Mama Love - the PG-13 Version of Orange is the New Black.

A memoir of motherhood, addiction, incarceration, and growth.

Pros of this book: This book is very well-written. I enjoyed reading Lara Love Hardin's story and I completely understand and support her writing a memoir about her life. Everyone needs the space and support to share their story freely and without judgment.

Cons of this book: White Privilege

After finishing this book, I read a few recent author interviews and found out that she's living her very best life - she's driving a Tesla and is the owner of a successful publishing company now. I am very happy for her. She has worked hard on herself and in her career and fought for the life that she wants.

But the whole time I was reading, the only thing I could think of was the thousands and thousands of people of color currently serving time in prison all over the country for her exact same crimes (or maybe even just one of them!) but they are given mandatory sentences of anywhere from 10-30 years or for life.

The author plead guilty to 32 counts - some of them she admitted were completely false but she still had to claim them to make the plea deal - but she does admit her guilt for drug possession, the endangerment of her child, and the identity theft of several of her neighbors. Despite all of that, she was sentenced to a year in prison and then was released after 10 months. In my opinion, serving less than a year in prison does not fit all of the crimes she committed.

Most people of color don't have the privileges or resources to get out of prison after serving time and be able to curate a new life path for themselves where they end up driving a Tesla and working as the CEO of a company. And the reason for that is not because of their education level, work ethic, or drive to succeed. It's only because of the color of their skin.

I know that people will probably read this and say, "Don't make this a race issue!" But when it comes to mass incarceration, race IS the issue. I just wanted to give the reader some background on the current reality of the HORRIFIC disparities between white people and people of color when it comes to drug charges and imprisonment in America.

In conclusion: While this book was very good, I just think it felt a bit out of touch for me. It honestly reminded me of when Kim Kardashian was crying over her lost diamond earring on her tropical vacation and her sister was like, "Kim, there are people that are dying."

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest feedback!

(𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 @𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯.𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 @𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.) I’m just not a huge nonfiction reader, but the nonfiction I like most consistently are memoirs. 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗔𝗠𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 by Lara Love Hardin has definitely solidified that trend. In fact, so far it’s my favorite memoir of the year and the only one I’ve given five stars. There’s something about this book that is everything: sad, painful, tragic, heartfelt, uplifting, wise, redemptive, joyful, and healing. All the feelings!⁣
⁣
From the onset of the book we know the author found herself in the unenviable position of being in jail both on drug and many other felony charges. This is the story of how she got there, the devastation it brought to her sons, and how hard she battled for a different life. At times it was horrifying, but at others inspiring. Hardin's memoir brimmed with not only exhaustion and defeat, but also with hope and determination. “𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦,” as she came to be known in jail, truly has lived many lives and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her personal account of them all in this honest, cautionary memoir. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin.

Lara Love Hardin has been coined The Neighbor From Hell in the past. After struggling with heroine addiction while raising kids in an affluent neighborhood, everything came crashing down on her when she was finally arrested, lost her children, and had to take serious stock of her life while in jail. Her story is one of extreme loss, grief, anger, frustration, but also of hope, dignity, recovery, and redemption.

I enjoyed this story, however, sometimes I think Hardin was a bit blind to her privilege. She talks a lot about how she was stereotyped as a felon in the writing world after her conviction, but I can't help but think how being a white, blond woman helped her achieve what SO many drug addicted felons could never, even if they had the same qualifications. However, I still appreciated her blunt and open descriptions of the horrors that would be dealing with addictions and losing so much.

Lara’s story drew me in from the first page. Her memoir shows behind the scenes of drug addiction, jail and learning how to navigate the post incarceration world. The story reads like a novel and she is a great writer making you feel like you are right there with her going through this.

Speaks a lot about how difficult it is to come back from being incarcerated even when you do not have a true life sentence, you will never be totally free.

It is amazing how much she has overcome and persevered to be where she is today.

The Many Lives of Mama Love really rocked me to my core. With many loved ones that struggle with addiction it was eye opening to see life from the eyes of the addict and not the loved one so to say. It was gripping and beautifully written, as well as raw and honest. I really enjoyed Mama Loves story.

I couldn’t put this book down! The author really captures your attention and shines the light on America’s correctional institutions and how broken they are! I commend her courage to love her life and share it with others!

So good! I love books like this, that take a super flawed person that so many would judge and shows us how they’re human and deserve compassion. Beautiful!!

This is an excellent memoir detailing one woman's life path from PTA mom to drug addict, convicted felon, ghostwriter and eventually, best-selling author. Laura Love Hardin doesn't hold much back in this story of her life. She doesn't try to sugarcoat anything, make excuses for her behavior, or fail to take responsibility for the choices she's made in life, and I respect that.

That said, as the child of a parent with addiction issues, I couldn't help but feel anger towards Laura at certain points throughout the book. To say she's not going to mess up, she's not going to do anything to risk her chances of regaining custody of her youngest son again, and then to just lie back and let her husband inject heroin into her veins at the first opportunity had me fuming. Even though I understand that addiction is a disease, and I realize that these choices feel out of the addict's control, having lived through so much trauma that affects me still as an adult, I'd be lying if I said reading parts of this book didn't make me angry. I recognize that it's my personal experience that causes me to react this way, whether right or wrong.

However, I also felt a great deal of sympathy for Laura at later points in her life. What she went through when being released from jail was so challenging. To be let out without a home, car, job, or any financial stability or support system is shocking to me. We wonder why the recidivism rate is so high, but yet our system doesn't support people trying to make the transition from jail or prison back to civilian life. Laura made it through, but I can understand why so many people end up back in jail.

Those parts of the book detailing her experiences after getting out of jail were the most eye-opening to me. I learned a lot about the system that I never knew. Also, I was so angry when her husband, who had continued abusing drugs and was making no effort to change in order to get their son back, got off easier than Laura did in the end. That's absurd to me and not the way things should go.

Anyway, I don't want to give away too much of the book, but I was really blown away by the changes Laura made in her life and where she is now versus where she was at her lowest point. This book will show you how someone can literally go from being a convicted felon and heroin addict to a best-selling author that has spent time with people like the Dalai Lama and Oprah. It's really quite an incredible story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of my favorite memoirs I've read. It's raw, real and poignant. Lara is a gifted writer who does a wonderful job of bringing readers into her world and her mindset. This is a book I would reccomend to anyone. Special Thank You to Lara Love Hardin, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such an interesting approach to a memoir. Reminds me of Jeanette McCurdy's book - humor, shame, and growth wrapped into one.

Wow. I think this is a book that every mother, possibly every woman should read. Lara Love Hardin's story of addiction and redemption has so many important lessons I think we all need to learn. Using drugs (or alcohol) as a way to escape the pain and problems of every day life, the many issues with our justice system and the cycle of reincarceration, the difficulties felons have in starting their lives over if they can break their previous negative cycles... These are all addressed. I have never been a drug addict, I have never stolen other's identities, I have never been incarcerated, but I connected with Love Hardin so many times on many different levels. It is hard not to compare this book to High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins - both great and powerful books but I preferred this one as I got much more of the back story and much more of what happened after her sentence. Read this as a cautionary tale, but also as inspiration that it is never too late to turn your life around and be the person you really want to be, no matter your circumstance.

I was surprised by how much of an impact this book had on me. Lara's writing is easy reading while still delivering impactful messages about addiction, our broken prison system, and the effects of incarceration on families. It dragged a little in the beginning for me, but once I was half way through I couldn't put it down.

The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin

“I have done lots of good in my life, and I have also done lots of bad. One doesn’t negate the other.”

This book was so beautifully written, drawing you in from page 1. The author writes from her heart, not afraid or ashamed to tell her life story in this touching memoir.
Lara is a college graduate, a business owner, mother of 4 boys, playing the role of soccer mom and PTA mom while trying to support a drug habit. She steals from neighbors and friends, using credit cards that don’t belong to her to support her and her husband’s habit. She is one step away from losing her home and her youngest son from her second husband. She is running from the authorities who are trying to track her down.
Ultimately, Lara winds up caught and incarcerated, along with her husband. By that time, she had 32 felony convictions and had to spend a year in prison. She details her life in prison and how she earned the name “Mama Love”. She talks about having to submit to drug court requirements and fighting to regain custody of her youngest son.
When Lara discovers the prison library, this becomes her new high. She begins to write short stories while incarcerated and discovers her voice.
Lara is an amazing individual. She was an inspiration to those she meets along journey. She begins her outside life as a ghost writer, eventually meeting the Dalai Lama , Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Oprah. One thing that she wanted to accomplish was to see who she was on the inside. In the end, she states “there is no other person I’d rather be than who I am”.
I am looking forward to reading more by Lara Love Hardin.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read an ARC of The Many Lives of Mama Love in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Even though the description kind of gives away the story – I was sucked into this book almost immediately, and the intrigue did not stop until the last page!

Hardin talks briefly about her childhood, and how her real addiction has always been escapism in any form. But we soon dive into her adult life near the time of her arrest, when she has four boys – three from her first husband and one with her current husband – and a large house on a cul-de-sac. Her current husband and she are both drug users, and are increasingly selling off random things in their house to fund their mutual habit.

After their arrest, they are sent to separate jails (for men and women). They are told they only have one year to reclaim custody of their child, and have a long list of requirements to do that. But how can they even start on that list when they don’t even have a trial date set? While Lara goes through detox and gets clean for a while, her husband’s mom bails him out and he is free and using again quickly.

My biggest disappointment with her story is that, when the husband bails her out, she immediately starts using again, too. She is just too attached to him as her savior in this phase, and lets him call the shots easily, even though it threatens her ability to regain any rights to see her sons.

After sentencing, they are separate and behind bars again, and she gets clean again. This time, it sticks. She still struggles with the idea of separating from her husband, although multiple people tell her that his behavior will threaten their chances with Child Protective Services. Since his mom has money, though, he still ends up out before her, and off the hook for the restitution they have to pay back. She eventually does kick him to the curb, but that took a LOT for her to get to.

I think this next phase of the book was the most interesting and heartbreaking to me, as someone who has never been to jail myself. She is now a single mom with no car, who has to try to get a full time job to show that she can be a responsible adult – while also navigating three different legal systems that have different (and sometimes overlapping) requirements of her. Any of these can call her in for a random drug test at any time, and she has three hours to complete it. (How is she going to do that while she’s at work? Or without a car?) This part was frustrating, and showed why it’s so hard for many people to successfully re-enter society after a stint in jail. It’s like the system is set up for them to fail.

Thankfully for Lara, she finds a very forgiving and flexible boss. In fact, he’s a book editor/publisher who is working with Archbishop Desmond Tutu on a book about forgiveness – so even though her past is problematic, this boss feels like he owes her a shot so that he can practice what he preaches.

This launches her into the book publishing world, and the opportunity to ghostwrite memoirs with a lot of interesting people. I was happy that she did not shy away from naming the people and books she actually worked with in this phase, because it was fascinating to me. In addition to the actual writing, she gets to travel, meet with interesting people, and even meet Oprah!

This book is beautifully written and painfully honest. I work in child welfare (CPS is how it’s referred in this book) and books like this are why I do the work I do. I don’t know if Lara’s caseworker was her partner towards reunification but that’s the caseworker I strive to be. One of the best memoirs I’ve read in a long time! I can definitely tell how Lara became a best selling New York Times author because she has a talent with words. Lara Love was a soccer mom hiding an addiction she fueled with theft until police come to her home and turn her life upside down. This book is her journey from arrest to healing. This book is about being human, making mistakes and then picking up and doing our best to fix them. This book is about trauma and forgiveness, especially self forgiveness. Definitely a must read memoir.

Having just finished a very harrowing, graphic fictional account of a man who was sex trafficked and abused (among other things) as a teenager, I was expecting this book to be a lot harsher than it was. It's basically Orange Is the New Black. It's been a minute since I read OITNB but white woman incarcerated, do we really need another one? I'd rather hear from women of color who have it a hell of a lot harder than a "model" mom turned drug addict who got caught but then learned from it and turned her life around (eventually). I had the same comments about OITNB, where I was expecting a grittier story and was kind of disappointed. Oops. Sorry fellow white woman. DJ was an idiot and utter trash and you were an idiot to keep going back to him and thinking he would save you (or his mommy). The whole thing was his fault and yet you kept falling for his tricks. I'm glad she turned herself around but being/turning into this white woman savior to incarcerated women of color was just blech.

I received a paperback and e-book ARC from Simon & Schuster and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a story, one that is raw, and honest, and powerful. The Many Lives of Mama Love is Lara Hardin’s memoir detailing a unique and uncommon life, one of reaching her bottom in the self-destructive world of substance abuse, struggling in a red-tape bound recovery system, and finally in regaining her worth and her sense of purpose.

Her journey was not pretty: racking up 32 felony convictions, spending a year in prison, submitting to drug court requirements, and fighting to regain custody of her youngest son. Her inner battles were worse as she did battle against the demons of shame and self-loathing, repaired a damaged reputation, and worked one day at a time to make amends and pay restitution for harm done. This story is a confession--bare-faced and candid—of Lara’s deeply personal journey. It is bold and cutting and, at times, hard to digest.

My favorite part was when Lara visited a prison library and found a place to escape that was better than all the pharmaceuticals she had tried. In books, in words, she began to make sense of her own life, honestly examining fears, emotions, and past traumas. A love for writing was born, and her career springboarded from the dark depths of incarceration. The worst that could ever happen was the very thing that led her to a life better than she could imagine. What a success story!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥?
This was a fascinating and captivating memoir about how easily addiction can change the course of someone's life. I appreciated that this was someone who had, what's often considered to be, all of the social standing to stay out of addiction and legal issues and it still impacted her. It's a great reminder that addiction is not isolated to one race, class, or educational status.

On a personal level, I work with a lot of parents who have been incarcerated and are working with the system to get their children back or to get off of probation. I have seen first hand the way that our criminal justice system fails people with expectations that are near impossible to meet due to scheduling, lack of communication, and no support. I super appreciated this perspective.

𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠?
The only critique I have of this memoir is that Lara Love didn't give much acknowledgment to how her privilege as a white woman in the system was a part of her story. There is one small mention in the book about how if she were a woman of color she would've been in prison long before her release from county. I would have loved to see her unpack this more, and give acknowledgement to her cell mates who didn't have the same starting line.

𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐫?
Yes! This is incredibly well written and captivating and speaks to some really important topics. The social commentary regarding criminal justice reform is done really well.

This is one of those books that sticks with you long after you’ve finished reading it. Love’s story of addiction and incarceration to success and self-forgiveness was one I couldn’t put down. Her story speaks to the much larger issue of the prison industrial complex in this country and just how much the system is designed to break people down and prevent them from ever being able to get back on their feet. Love holds a Master’s degree and is white and she is quick to acknowledge the privilege she has that so many others do not. You can’t help but root for Love and celebrate her accomplishments while feeling intense grief and anger at what she lost and the way that one’s past never really goes away.