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Who Do You Think You Are?: A Memoir | 
 enlarge | Author: Alyse Myers
Publisher: Touchstone
Category: Book
List Price: $24.00
Buy New: $12.00
You Save: $12.00 (50%)
New (32) from $12.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 29488
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1
ISBN: 1416543058
Dewey Decimal Number: 974.7043092
EAN: 9781416543053
ASIN: 1416543058
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. 100% money back guarantee. All books shipped from Strand Bookstore, New York City, USA.
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Product Description
After her mother's death, Alyse Myers covets only one thing: a wooden box that sits in the back of a closet. Its contents have been kept from her for her entire life. When she was thirteen years old her mother promised she could have the box, "when I'm dead. In fact, it'll be my present to you." Growing up in Queens in the 1960s and '70s, Alyse always yearned for more in life, while her mother settled for an unhappy marriage, an unsatisfying job, and ultimately a joyless existence. Her father drifts in and out of their home. There are harrowing fights, abject cruelty, and endless uncertainty. Throughout her childhood Alyse adamantly rejects everything about her mother's lifestyle, leaving her mother to ask "Who do you think you are?" A personal portrait of a mother and daughter, Who Do You Think You Are? explores the profound and poignant revelations that so often can come to light only after a parent has died. Balancing childhood memories with adult observations, Alyse Myers creates a riveting and deeply moving narrative.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
Couldn't put it down June 27, 2008
This book drew me in from the start, and a combination of the writing and the story kept me hooked. People might wonder why someone with a mother who was so frequently awful to them would want to stay connected to that parent. But as is made clear in this book -- it's still your mom. And it's human nature to want it to turn out o.k. Myers doesn't try to find excuses for her mother or psychoanalyze her. There's an acceptance here; not approval of her behavior, and not wishing it wasn't different. But a realization that her mother was a very flawed human being -- and she still wanted a relationship with her. It was a great read.
Read This Book! June 11, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a truly inspiring book. Not only is the writing flawless and captivating, but Myers tells a story that is real and original. She connects the story of her past to her current life in a manner that reminds us all how we come to be the people we are. This book will force you to examine the relationships in your life and what they mean to you, and in the process is a wonderful read. I could not put it down, and even woke up in the middle of the night just to read what was going to happen next. I am looking forward to reading it again and discovering new things about life, love, and myself. I hope to read another book by Alyse Myers in the near future.
Excellent Book May 27, 2008
It was an easy read. I enjoyed it so much. I'm obviously around the same age as the writer so the backdrops really got me into it. It was as if i was there with her in her neighborhood, watching the same TV shows, etc. It really brought me back. Although my relationship with my Mom is different, the book still kept my attention all along the way. It actually made me appreciate her more.
Beautifully sad May 26, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Alyse Myers, if I recall correctly, is a marketing executive with The New York Times, and this is her first book. I recommend it highly!
This memoir makes me want to aspire to write my own. Alas, I doubt I could reach the simplicity of Myers' writing coupled with the profundity of it.
Maybe it's because the book relates closely to my poor, poor relationship with my mother, but that's not all of it, I think. It is simply a great read.
Why can't more books use the simplicity of writing to such powerful effect as Myers does? I sure wish I could.
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? was, like other reviewers have said, a very fast read. So fast I didn't want it to end at times.
Five unequivocal stars!
Find out who you are May 22, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This totally honest memoir allows the reader to enter the life of Alyse Meyers when she was a child. It is not a pretty life. It is not a life many would want to change places with, yet it sparks a chord in us all. I read this book recently as a book club choice and it couldn't have been a better one. Not only did I find myself completely absorbed in the story and the characters, but it brought about fantastic discussion in a group. After all, we all come from a family and everyone has a story! A very worthwhile read.
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