Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Etched in Sand - Calcaterra

Title: Etched in Sand: A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island


Author: Regina Calcaterra
Genre: Memoir
Rating
3/5- Good. Read it, have a good time and move on. Or not.

Book Source: Library

 
Recommended if you like: Memoirs, stories of struggle, stories about children



What Its About:  
Regina Calcaterra's rags-to-riches story of growing up in Manhattan with her multiple siblings suffering at the hands of a neglectful, abusive, alcoholic mother for years before being able to find a way out. Calcaterra's mother repeatedly leaves her children home to hit the local bars and returns months later to discover that her daughters have kept themselves and their siblings alive by stealing food and nailing windows shut for safety.

Calcaterra eventually manages to be the first in her family to attend college, going so far as to get her law degree, and goes on to an admirable legal career in New York politics and activism.






The Bottom Line: 
Well written and heartbreakingly honest, Calcaterra's story shares a childhood of horror while giving the reader hope that there hope beyond adversity.


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