I Wore the Ocean In the Shape of a Girl

As you might expect from the title, this memoir reads like a long, lyrical, beautiful poem.  In fact the author has written three poetry collections and was included in Best American Poetry 2010. I loved the book but it was almost like watching a horror movie with my hands covering my face part of the time.  Some scenes are just too hard to watch straight on.  I have always been drawn to books about people who grew up in adversity and this one doesn't disappoint but it's so raw at times it's difficult to read.  Still, it honors a woman's life and her attempts to move on from a teen pregnancy, alcoholism, and near deadly self-loathing in a rare and beautiful way.
220 pp
Kim F