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Who Do You Think You Are?: A Memoir (Unabridged) | 
 enlarge | Author: Alyse Myers
Publisher: audible.com
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $10.48
You Save: $9.47 (47%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Media: Audio Download
ASIN: B001946Q86
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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 7 more reviews...
 We understand too little too late October 6, 2008
This memoir is a quick read, full of regret and sadness for the mother (and father) who might have been. Parents let their children down regularly, that is just a fact of life. The character that Myers describes as her mother is not some abusive monster, but instead is an extremely lonely, isolated and depressed young widow who is struggling to support three kids.
Not at all a nurturing mother, but then that did not shock or surprise me. She had a husband with numerous health problems, who (we learn at the story's end) married her mainly because he hated being in the army, and married men were allowed an honorable discharge because the low pay of an enlisted man could not support a family. She was essentially a single mother even before her husband died, since he was mostly absent and had a girlfriend. The mother-daughter arguments that are recalled by the author are frankly pretty typical stuff ("You're selfish!" "I hate you!"). Hurtful things were said by both, and the daughter was made to leave home at 18. The author envied "normal" families that were intact and appeared to be happier than hers, but ultimately she became a confident and independent woman with a wonderful husband and career.
I ended this book feeling deeply sorry for the author and her mother; our parents are always strangers to us, even when we think we know them well.
I also felt thankful to NOT live in a place like New York City, described here as so full of crime, filth, and unkindness, as to be a horrible place to raise small children.
Emotional read that triggered memories of my youth August 29, 2008
"I found this book to be amazingly captivating. I must be honest I did not expect to enjoy this read, but I was entranced from the first page. The book was a nostalgic ride back into my youth. Alyse Myers manages to deal with her formative years in an honest almost cleansing manner. The book shows us how we are in some positive and negative ways the products of our environment. The essence of who we are is shaped in childhood and Alyse shows her strength and determination in rising to the top." - Eva Johnston
*I give it 5 stars, but my computer isn't allowing me to highlight all five.
 dissapointing August 18, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
No insight. A the ending - the "I'm the good person I am today because my mother was awful to me, and I wanted to be better than her" is a total cop out. How about that you might be a good person today ~in spite of~ the hate and violence your mother tortured you with as a child? Think about what a wonderful person you'd be like if you had a Good childhood? A supportive parent, a happy household, an understanding family. It's like justifying being spanked as a child as a good thing because hey, you turned out okay, so it must not have been so bad.
There was no real exploration into the reason why her mother was so angry and hateful toward this one daughter and not the other two, why the three didn't get along or speak much. Why?
This is a story suitable for a blog, someone posting about what it was like growing up. Not worthy of print though. Find it at the library. You will read it in one afternoon - it is not a weighty book at all and certainly not one that requires much effort on your part as the author didn't seem to work that hard. So many times I asked "but why?" and wanted to know more, things were hinted at but never explored further and my questions not answered. Could have been a good read but it's really just a quick story of growing up with an angry mother.
 Once I had the time to spend.. August 8, 2008
reading this memoir--I was done reading it in one day. I found there were times I put it down; when it got too close for comfort. I really found this book by accident..I didn't know anything about it until I was shopping for new memoir's at bookstore last weekend--and there it was. I am very glad I picked it up and read it. I will recommend this book to my best friend..and I think she will like it as much as I do. :)
At least this mother changed. August 6, 2008
I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I devoured it in a few days, which is a record for me, as I often get bored with (some) books, lay them down, never to be picked up again. This author pulled me in from the "get go". I kept thinking, "that happened to me", especially the hurtful words. I'm lucky that I did not suffer all the things the author did. However her mom changed, and mine has not. The ending give me hope, that perhaps our mother will one day accept our love. This may sound selfish, but it's somehow comforting to know . . . that you're not alone with your agony. Remarkable book. Brave author.
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