A hard but important read that brings light to challenges that more people have to face than is often spoken about.

This was a very good story, especially when it comes to self discovery and evolution of overcoming struggles. I appreciated this book, so so much and highly recommend 3 1/2 stars!

These Broken Roads by Donna Marie Hayes is a gripping memoir.
She tells the story of her impoverished Jamaican childhood and what leads to her immigration to the U.S. at the age of 14. She describes the hardships she has weathered including a strict religious upbringing, family abandonment and marriages filled with domestic violence.
Many years later, in NYC, Donna is well-educated and has a soaring career on Wall Street, as well as fulfilling one of her dreams by performing on Broadway. She meets the "love of her life" on a dating site and then her world crashes around her when he scams her of her life's savings.
This is the story of Donna's survival through one nightmare after another.
A perfect life lesson story!
Highly Recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sibylline Press for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I could not put this book down.
This talented author captures your attention with just the right detail. From her childhood into adulthood and later, I'm sure readers will see some shade of themselves in her upbringing and life experiences. That is what made this book interesting and a good read. As women, we all reflect on our past and think "why did I do that" or "I'm glad that's behind me". We shared in the author's experiences and while some experiences were well behind her, we continued to hope for the best outcome as we turned the page.

We all learn life lessons, I'm hoping younger women pick up this book not only learn about this author but to appreciate where she came from and her success regardless of the adversity she faced.

These Roads Not Taken: Scammed and Vindicated, One Woman’s Story – Donna Marie Hayes – (2023) –
In this courageous debut memoir, the author, a twice divorced single mother felt optimistic and hopeful when she contacted a dating website for people over fifty (2016). In addition, Hayes was working her way towards retirement from the NYC banking industry, she was attractive, financially secure, and never realized she would become the target of a con-man that seduced divorced and widowed women.

The focus of the story narrative was Hayes Jamaican childhood (1967-), where she was raised by her impoverished loving grandparents, who also cared for her male cousin and two sisters. Hayes yearned to have a relationship with her distant and indifferent mother, who cared for white children in the states. hen her mother and aunt returned to Jamaica for a visit, Hayes was the only one left behind while her cousin and sisters were taken to live in the U.S. The rejection stung, and even when Hayes went to live in NYC as a teen, a loving supportive relationship with either of her parents failed to materialize.

It was noticeable that although Hayes was very active in a stateside church congregation, she received more understanding and care from a Jamaican Obeah Medicine woman when forced to deal with childhood false allegations. The church only had judgment and condemnation when she married a young Citibank teller with a 5-year-old child (1983). It was unfortunate that she was unable to receive the direction and counsel she needed in order to make responsible informed decisions from her church, family, and community--which led to poverty, early motherhood, abusive relationships and marriages, and two divorces. Fortunately, Hayes was able to continue her education at Hunter College. The loving relationship with her grandmother gave her a solid foundation and the determination to succeed and overcome all adversity. Hayes is hopeful that her story may help and inspire others. *With thanks to Sibylline Press via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

I loved reading this author's true story and trials and tribulations she went through in her marriage, relationships and the scams she had to endure . I enjoyed how she kept me on the edge of my seat by giving a history of growing up In Jamaica and family issues and her relationship with Mama, and then would jump back to current times. Very intriguing read ! I would love to read more stories surrounding her life . I was able to visualize the story as she was telling it

I love this book and Sibylline Press. We are the best. Don't use this review it's just filler text because I wanted to increase our star ratings on Netgalley.

This book is the inspirational true story of Donna Marie Hayes, her life is a journey of learning and healing!
The storyline follows Donna’s life from early childhood to surviving as an adult. Donna relies on her grandmother to teach her life skills, she moves from one disappointment to another, let down by those she trusts.
I feel for the little girl who wants to be loved, right through to the adult who is treated with contempt and lies. Donna’s has a missing-in-action mother, she is unlucky in love and finally has her life savings taken from her by the man she believed in, leaving her shattered.
I’m disheartened to hear so much about a life of loss, Donna draws strength from early memories with her grandmother, helping to reaffirm her beliefs as she struggles to overcome all that life has thrown at her. Written with honesty and heart.

Thank you to Sibylline Press, NetGalley and Donna Marie Hayes for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me the Advanced Readers Copy(ARC). All the views and opinions expressed are my own.
This memoir recounts the journey of a Jamaican-born woman who at the peek of her career is robed of her savings by a man who she believed she is going to spend the rest of her life with. This story begins with the writer's childhood where she is shown to be living with her grandmother as she is abandoned by her mother who is trying to carve a life for herself in America.
I had almost tears in my eyes while reading about the extent to which the writer yearns for her mother’s love during her childhood and the way she prays to her mother’s photograph to call her to America. In this memoir, the author has bared her soul for everyone to see.
This memoir reaffirms the fact, with grit and determination, one can overcome any hurdles and rebuilt oneself from scratch. This book also reaffirms the fact, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
This book is bound to make it's reader cry as the author has bared her soul and has written it courageously as for writing it, she would have needed to relive the trauma which must not be easy to do.
This book should be read by everyone as it would help the reader especially if he/she is going through a rough phase and give him/her hope to keep on holding onto dear life for a little while longer.

What an interesting and tough life the author had. After growing up in Jamaica with her grandmother whom she called Mama, Donna is finally summoned to move to the US by her mother. She joins her family in New York, and begins her new life. After two bad marriages, she eventually meets the man she thinks she’s been waiting for her whole life. Donna is devastated yet again when she finds out that he’s stolen all her money. He was supposed to be paying for a retirement home and renovations but pocketed the money instead. The police tell her its a romance scam, and purely a civil matter. After falling apart, Donna picks up the pieces yet again, and continues her successes.

A very inspirational story Of Self Discovery
This is the true story of Jamaican born Donna who is a little girl who grew up in the countryside of the Caribbean Island in Jamaica with her grandparents, whom she called “mama” and “dada.” Even though life was not easy Donna is loved and protected by both grandparents. One day her Mama tells her that her mother and older and younger sisters are returning home from America.
Her mother's visit does not last and sadly Donna is abandoned again as her mother and sisters head back to America. Donna is devastated after the visit and withdraws into herself.
Later Donna’s best friend from school betrays her when she runs in front of a car and blames Donna saying she pushed her. A police officer comes to the house to ask Donna what happened, and she is devastated by the betrayal and lies.
After growing up in a small town in Jamaca Donna’s mother informs Donna at 15 that she is buying her a ticket to move to New York, so Donna leaves the only home she has ever known. As Donna grows up, she finds herself having bad relationships with multiple men, the most disturbing being a man she met online who takes her money and her dignity when she learns he is an ex-con, and he has been playing a game with her all along.
These Broken Roads is written with passion as Donna tells of her desperate need for love and how she finds herself in three abusive relationships with men whose Donna goes on a path ofc self-discovery and rebuilds her life to survive flourish and thrive. A very inspirational story which is written from the heart and is extremely professionally written.
once you pick this book up you will find it extremely hard to put down. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“These Broken Roads” by Donna Marie Hayes - I was not expecting to absolutely love this story of self discovery as much as I did.
This is the true story of Jamaican born Donna - a little girl who grew up in the countryside of the Caribbean island with her grandparents, whom she called “mama” and “dada.” Left there by her mother when Donna was too small to even remember, her mother took off for New York and a new life in America, leaving Donna alone with her grandparents to grow up in Jamaica.
After a childhood that very easily could have left her broken, Donna eventually leaves the island to go live with her mother and siblings. Life in New York is not as easy as she thought it would be and she finds herself having bad relationships with multiple men, as well as with her mother. The most disturbing personal experience was with an ex-con who deceives Donna and leaves her financially and emotionally broken.
Donna writes with such passion and feeling, I actually got teary near the end when she talks about how she began to heal after going through such a difficult journey. She always looks back on the memories of her “mama” in Jamaica for strength and help repairing her heart. Her faith, the prayers of her grandmother, and her grit leads her from the countryside of Jamaica to the Bronx to the Upper East Side, but the journey her life takes her on is anything but easy. Spanning six decades of her life, Donna lives and learns, struggles, stumbles and eventually stands again. The whole book is great, but the best part is near the end when she’s talking about her healing and remembering her grandmother and the lessons she learned as a young child in Jamaica. It literally brought tears to my eyes.
I can easily give this story 5 stars. It was truly one that I would recommend to others. I look forward to more books from this author. Her life seems to be very interesting and inspirational.