by: Amy Griffin
Goodreads description:
For decades, Amy ran. Through the dirt roads of Amarillo, Texas, where she grew up; to the campus of the University of Virginia, as a student athlete; on the streets of New York, where she built her adult life; through marriage, motherhood, and a thriving career. To outsiders, it all looked, in many ways, perfect. But Amy was running from something—a secret she was keeping not only from her family and friends, but unconsciously from herself. “You’re here, but you’re not here,” her daughter said to her one night. “Where are you, Mom?” So began Amy’s quest to solve a mystery trapped in the deep recesses of her own memory—a journey that would take her into the burgeoning field of psychedelic therapy, to the limits of the judicial system, and ultimately, home to the Texas panhandle, where her story began.
In her search for the truth, to understand and begin to recover from buried childhood trauma, Griffin interrogates the pursuit of perfectionism, control, and maintaining appearances that drives so many women, asking, when, in our path from girlhood to womanhood, did we learn to look outside ourselves for validation? What kind of freedom is possible if we accept the whole story and embrace who we really are? With hope, heart, and relentless honesty, she points a way forward for all of us, revealing the power of radical truth-telling to deepen our connections—with others and ourselves.
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓 1/2 (warning- spoiler alert)
This was unputdownable but I am not sure if I actually liked it. That being said, I practically read it in one sitting. The story of an extreme perfectionist, I got serious Tracy Flick vibes from the cult classic movie Election. Amy Griffin definitely seemed like someone I would know and am of similar age and background, but I didn’t particularly resonate with her. I have a lot of opinions with her story (This is where you should quit reading if you don’t want the ending spoiled). 1. I believe she was abused but I don’t believe that she suppressed it. I can’t really articulate why I feel that way, I just do. 2. She had an unsettling smugness about her Texas roots and family. That didn’t sit well with me. 3. I worry that people are going to use MDMA therapy as a way to validate their life experiences to curry favor and acceptance of their narratives…meaning it should be accepted because MDMA therapy unveiled it in such a way. Now…go read it so that we can talk about it!!! It certainly is a great conversation piece and is worth delving into…I recommend it.
Holly says: 🤓🤓🤓 1/2
This book was definitely NOT boring, so I think you should read it. I bet there are as many opinions about Amy Griffin and her story as there are individuals. I found it hard to believe that such a perfectionist and tightly wound personality would even entertain the thought of MDMA therapy. But she did and then seemed to have an almost complete and total recall of years of buried trauma after one day-long session. Since the perpetrator could not be prosecuted due to a statute of limitations, I guess this was the best way for Amy to tell the story. Amy’s husband was extremely supportive of her all along the way. I would like to have known more about her family dynamics, especially her siblings and children. I would love to read another perspective of her story. There were a lot of disconnects for me, but please read it and give us your opinions.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 