Author: Amy Dickinson
ISBN:  978-1-4013-1012-7

Click Here To Purchase The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Story of Surprising Second Chances

In reading this wonderfully written memoir, I felt like I’d found my “soul-sister.”  Not only do we share the same name, but we believe that our family is literally the backbone of who we are, and draw our strength and courage from the people who love us the most.

Amy Dickinson, the author, is also the writer of America’s favorite advice column, “Ask Amy.”  She doesn’t need a PhD to mete out respected and honest information to the public.  All she needs is a smart, slightly sarcastic circle of friends; a long line of female ancestors who were strong, determined, and courageous; and, last but not least, a voodoo doll with pins always comes in handy. 

The author takes us through the time when she felt her most vulnerable.  She, her husband, and their daughter, Emily, lived in London because of her husband’s job.  He leaves his girls and travels quite a bit, staying away so long that it feels like when he walks back in the door he doesn’t seem to even recognize his wife and daughter.  Soon, her husband decides that he can’t be a part of the family anymore.  Leaving his wife and daughter to fend for themselves, Amy travels back to her small town to lean on the people who’d always been there for her.  What follows is a very special story of a female dominant family who’ve all had losses in the marriage department.  The estrogen heavy family shares their thoughts, smiles, comedy, and wonderful advice, that helps Amy (and her readers, no doubt) to stand up, get back on their feet, and be good, nurturing parents to their own little girls.

From Church to the “dorkitude” actions on the playground, this author does a fantastic job of showing readers the insanely humorous actions of small town USA.  Freeville, the town of Amy’s birth, reminds me so much of the small town I grew up in.  A little tiny community in the Connecticut mountains played home to me and my own beautiful daughter.  I, too, am a single parent and am looking back – this month especially – at my little girl who has been my friend and partner through life who is now (gulp!) graduating high school and moving on with her dreams.  So this book brought me to tears as many times as it brought me to all out laughter.

Also in this story is a tale of second chances…in all areas of life.  The author does a wonderful job of proving that family values (remember that debate a long time ago?) means VALUE your family!  When doing this, the losses that are inevitable in life become a little bit easier to take, and the jumps we have to make off life’s ledges don’t seem as dangerous.  I, for one, couldn’t do without my family.  Although there are differences between myself and the author – such as, my father was the most extraordinary man in the world, and I have never been a bride – we agree on the fundamental things in life…love and family. 

 Click Here To Purchase The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Story of Surprising Second Chances