Somebody's Daughter

This author is an excellent writer, and the details were spot on.... My heart broke for her a couple times.... At thirteen going threw that of all times.... Then to finding out about her high school sweet heart, that couldn't be easy, it was definitely shocking.... There were things I could relate with this author about.... Like having trouble with your chest growing and people saying wear clothes that fit you, meaning put on a baggy shirt so they are not showing because that is the only way big chest people can make them not show.... It also broke my heart with the mom's boyfriend, the cruel person he is.... Honestly I would say I can't believe the mom stayed with him as long as she did, but that would be a lie because I see it all the time, women choosing men over their kids.... My mom and I didn't get along well either but it seem like this author learn to live with her mom the way she is, I give her credit for that.... There was a part in the book that she describe so perfect that I was like yup, that is so my mom, and it was the scene when she was afraid to tell her mom she got in collage and how much money she would need for the dorm, the reaction she assume her mom would get about giving her the money is how my mom used to act too.... I felt connected to this author in so many levels....

I absolutely love how this author writes - she is absolutely a wonderful and skilled writer. Her use of words in expressing emotions and circumstances was just beautiful to me. Even though the situations are difficult, she articulates everything so well that it doesn't feel like a "sad" book. Ultimately, it is about love, family, and forgiveness. I could relate sooo much to some of her relationships, particularly with her mother and grandmother. I cried many times throughout, and SO much at the end, and kept thinking about everything for hours after I'd finished the book. I keep recommending it to friends and acquaintances. I hope that Ashley Ford writes many more books - I will be looking out for them!

A little late, but I finished it. This was so good , worth the read: I need a part 2 for the daughter and father relationship. I won’t ruin it but very relatable from somebody’s daughter to another!

I found this heart rending memoir so raw and moving. So many of the author’s feelings matched my own, even though our lives are so different. We are both women and life isn’t always easy. Ashley C. Ford you are courageous!

She is a child with parents, but she is longing to feel like somebody’s daughter. She is a teenager, then a young adult learning to redefine what love is – of others and herself. The author tackles a childhood of abuse and a rape. But this book is much more than that. This is a powerful story of a young woman who grew up without her father’s presence, although he is very much alive, and the path she took to finding her way to him.Ashley was loved but the feelings bestowed upon her by her mother were sporadic. They were mixed with fear. When she wasn’t being beaten, which started at a very young age, she attempted to discern how to read her mother, how to behave, in order to avoid physical punishment, for something she wasn’t even aware she had done wrong. Not easy for a little girl with no one to turn to for help. As if the actions of a child, let alone anyone, warrant being abused.Fortunately, she had the love of her maternal grandmother and a little brother, later younger siblings. But that did not change the dynamics at home. When Ashley learned at a young age that her father was incarcerated, but not why, she longed for the father she knew of from his loving letters. She wished he could reach her in the real world.As a teenager, Ashley meets a boy who gives her attention in a way that she doesn’t want nor that she asks for. Then, he attacks her. From that day forward, she carries the shame and hurt alone. Out of fear, she felt it was a secret she must keep.What transpires after Ashley is able to get herself through high school and out of the town that simultaneously holds the security of a tight-knit family and horrific memories as well, she is off on the road toward reparation of mind, body, and soul.What the author endures as a young girl is heart-wrenching but there is such beauty in the making of Ashley as she is coming into her own and as she is becoming somebody’s daughter.

This is a very moving book, filled with heartache and hope in the same package, an intimate view into a life filled with love and pain in equal measure. The author shares the trauma of her childhood and the efforts it takes to integrate it into a more complete life. I was drawn into her story from first page to last.

I saw this book pop up repeatedly on my social media and without doing any research, I made the purchase. A few chapters in, I realized this wasn't what I had in mind- it was much better. Most of it is based on her childhood, which I found relatable. I ran through this book so fast. I wish there was more to read honestly. 10/10. Would recommend to anyone! I was so excited when I posted this on my IG story and so many of my women friends reached out to me to say they were adding it to their must-read-list. It should be on everyone's.

Wow! This book is written very well and definitely pulls at your heart. I cried and laughed. She is braver than I to be able to tell her story and not keep it buried.

I felt Ashley had a unique way of writing about her experiences.There’s something in the way she writes that put me in her shoes, even though her story is very different to mine.I always love learning of others lives their highs, lows and learning from them. Ashley’s writing/thoughts particularly on her early childhood convey what an intelligent women she is.I think it shines a light on black, LGBTQ and class issues. A true fighter for what she went through too I can’t help but draw some parallels with Maya Angelou’s, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.My number one take home, loved ones / friendships aren’t always perfect but they’re all we have. We have to choose what aspects to hold onto and which to let go.

Not my normal type of read, but I enjoyed reading this book most of the time

Somebody’s Daughter” is a wonderful book. Ashley ford writes about the love and heartbreak of her childhood, family and her journey to discover, acknowledge and understand all that she is. Highly recommend.

Very moving. A real sense of growing up and the emotional stresses of adolescence. Wud highly recommend as a memoir.

Have not read the book yet, but could not be happier with the purchase process. Quick shipping. No complaints.