Audio/Book Review of The Boots My Mother Gave Me by Brooklyn James

Book Title: The Boots My Mother Gave Me 

Genre: YA/Coming Of Age/Romance

Pages: 280
Audio Book Run Time: 9 Hrs 57 Mins

Author: Brooklyn James

Date Published: 9 August 2010 (Kindle) 20 August 2014 (Audio)

Synopsis:

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk through life in someone else's shoes?

Strong-willed tomboy Harley LeBeau puts you in the boots her mother gave her, as she takes you along her journey of escape from an abusive childhood and the desire to find herself as she comes of age. Made to feel a burden to her father simply by her gender, Harley is determined to prove her worth and independence, leaving the small town she grew up in and the one boy who gave her a soft place to fall, Jeremiah Johnson. Torn between saving herself and abandoning her mother and younger sister, Harley chooses her own life in hopes they will choose theirs, too.

A mature, candid read for everyone. A must for women. The Boots My Mother Gave Me explores the dynamics of abuse and dysfunction, the courage to overcome, the strength in sisterhood, and the ongoing conflict and unconditional love between mothers and daughters.

Climb into Charlene the Chevelle for a fast-paced story about a girl who is tough enough to survive and tender enough to learn to trust in love.

Review:

The Boots My Mother Gave Me by Brooklyn James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Updated Review:

Review 6******

I was given a copy of this book in audio format by the author in return for an honest review.

This is a very emotionally charged story that touched me deeply, and had me hooked from the first page.

Harley Le Beau is a very strong character. She has had to be, to cope with the verbal and physical abuse perpetrated by her father.
The one constant in her life is her mother, sister and her next door neighbour, Jeremiah Johnson.

Jeremiah (or as Harley calls him, Miah) Johnson is a wonderful character. He hasn't had a wonderful childhood either, but he is kind, honourable and gentle. I fell in love with him a little bit too.

Having previously read and reviewed this book in 2012, I was eager to listen to this story in audio format narrated by the author. I loved Brooklyn James's narration of the story and found her voice extremely pleasant to listen to. I also loved the songs and music, sung and played by her interspersed through the story, which brought Harley's character more to life. Reading lyrics to songs is a completely different experience to listening to them and how they are meant to be sung. They brought out a plethora of emotions in me, much more than just reading a story could ever do. I do love listening to country music with a catchy tune and great lyrics, so I wouldn't mind getting a CD or MP3 download of these songs to listen to on their own.

This older YA story is like a biography of Harley's life. It follows about 10 years or so of her life, after being thrown out by her abusive father. It is a very poignant tale. I loved the interaction between Harley and Jeremiah. It shows that love can bloom even in the most damaged of hearts. This is a very difficult book to read, especially if you have gone through something similar. However, this book deserves to be read, as Harley's voice needs to be heard. Harley's journey is full of ups and downs, love and hate, anger and forgiveness. The reader is swept up in the emotional roller coaster that is Harley's life. There are some really humourous scenes that made me giggle, but there are also some scenes that had me bawling my eyes out. Though there is mention of sex in this book, it is tastefully done and is not explicit or erotic in any way. Some of the subjects in this book are very difficult to listen to, never mind read, but Harley's journey in trying to find herself and what she wants with her life, combined with the love/hate relationship with her father, makes this book a MUST READ.

Brooklyn James has written a story that has stayed with me for two years, but listening to it reminded me how powerfully this book affected me. I love her fast paced writing style, and the flow was wonderful. I am now looking forward to reading her other books as soon as I can.

Due to the mention of alcohol abuse, as well as physical abuse, I do not recommend this book to younger readers, or those of a sensitive nature. However, I highly recommend this book if you love older YA, Coming of Age and Romance genres. - Lynn Worton

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