Julie’s Review: Veronica’s Grave by Barbara Bracht Donsky

Veronica’s Grave: A Daughter’s Memoir
written by Barbara Bracht Donsky
published by She Writes Press, 2016

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Goodreads

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange  for an honest review.

Did I enjoy this book: Yes. I’m not a big reader of memoirs, but I was quickly drawn into to this one. Barbara (nicknamed Bob) is a protagonist you can’t help but cheer for as she navigates life without her mother in the fifties and sixties. I especially enjoyed Bob’s experience as a TWA hostess replete with her two piece jade green gabardine uniform!

 

GOLDEN LINE(S)

“People say marriage is a fifty-fifty proposition, but that’s not true. Marriage has to be 100 percent all the time, otherwise it doesn’t work.”

 

 

Would I recommend it: Yes! It reads like a poignant coming-of-age novel sprinkled with humor.

 

 

About the book – from Goodreads: When Barbara Bracht’s mother disappears, no one tells the young girl that her mother has died. She is left a confused child whose father is intent upon erasing any memory of his dead wife. Forced to keep the truth of her mother s existence from her younger brother, Barbara struggles to keep from being crushed under the weight of family secrets as she comes of age and strives to educate herself despite her father’s stance against women s education.

Veronica s Grave tells of the psychological cost of families who keep secrets and the importance of pursuing one’s dreams and passions. Told in the young girl’s voice, the memoir asks the reader to consider what parents owe their children, and how far a child need go to make things right for her family.

Ultimately, it’s a tale of loss and resilience, showing the power of literature– from Orphan Annie and Prince Valiant to the incomparable Nancy Drew — to offer hope where there is little.