I almost stop buying this book because of the awful reviews from people who could not stand the novel because the detailed description of the rape. It is sad that they miss this wonderful story because of that. It is just not fair. Life is life, with beauty and ugliness, with good and bad, even if we avoid reading about it, it is just is. I rather read this novel, with the rape and everything than lose my time reading “The fifty shades of grey”, that is only garbage.
Additionally, the reader is amazing. Is one of the best one I recommend this book specially to mothers who prefer to close the eyes instead of standing up.
By the way, regarding the last chapter, the writer does not need to apologize for anything.

I know some people were turned off by the child molestation in this book, but the fact is that it happens so often to kids, maybe if we could read the signs of the child and the adults around them, more of it could be prevented. For these reasons, I found the story interesting, believable, and sadly informative. I felt such empathy for the protagonist, for almost more than the physical abuse, the mental abuse she endured. And FYI, the mom sucks..

At first I didn't think I would like it, but soon I couldn't stop listening to the story.

This book should never be banned. Our children need to know, they are not alone with their secrets.

I put off listening to this book, but so glad I finally did. It's rare I would call a novel 'profound,' but this one fills the bill. It is a 'novel,' as the author reminds us in the Afterward. However, I felt as if I were living the real life of a southern family and the abused child of one of their members. Mamma dearly loved her baby girl, born out of wedlock at a time and place where that was not generally accepted by society. Illegitimate was stamped on her child's birth certificate. Mamma later married and had another baby girl. Things were idyllic for a while until tragedy struck and she lost her husband. A few years later she remarried and the stepfather entered the picture. Life was good for this new family for a while, but gradually began to unravel as difficulties came along. This is a story that echos the real life struggles and cruelty and frailties of too many of us. As one man told the author years later ...You told my story. I'm sure many of us could say the same thing. Moving and profound in its message.

Read Hillbilly Eligy, then read this novel, then ask yourself how we as a society can support positive change.

From beginning to end it made me horribly sad.
The writing itself was very good, but I listen for joy, not to be brought down.

Though I can't relate to either Bone or Dorothy, my heart aches for those two girls. And any other child that endures horrors in this world. Let your children read this book. Let them have their hearts sympathize and eyes open to the pain that sometimes engulfs our beautiful world.

The author explains in the afterword why she chose to have write this story as fiction and not memoir. It made perfect sense, and goodness knows I defer to her wisdom about writing a life of pain and bringing the message to the world. That said, I spent the entire thing wishing it was a memoir. I find something comes through that genre that is lost when fictionalized. It read like a memoir in a somewhat disconnected, scenes-from-a-life way, but for me it didn't have the same juice as if it was an actual recounting. Beginning and end were powerful. The rest only ever had half my attention.

Other readers have plastered their reviews with trigger warnings. While some scenes are intense, it's no more disturbing than other stories of sexual assault I've read. Might be that it personally triggered folks who had the same experience -- in which case, I'm so sorry if anything like that happened to you. I wish you healing and peace.

I was disappointed in the story. Yes, it was very sad and unfortunate. But it was way to long and just repeated basically the same thing over and over.