Women Like Us by Amanda Prowse
Our lives may all be different, but we all can relate
I had the amazing privilege of getting to know Amanda when she was a guest on our podcast, Speaking LITerally back in February. I immediately loved her and connected with her. She was funny, grounded, and had the type of wisdom that everyone can learn from.
Much like that hour I spent with her discussing her career and her life, her book was full of brutal honesty. Even though the anxiety and self-doubt was discussed on air, she takes her time in really showing how and why she’s where she is in life. By the time I finished reading, Women Like Us, I loved her even more!
I’ll be honest, I’m not a big nonfiction reader and that includes memoirs. The only other memoir I’ve read is Michelle Obama’s Becoming, so this should be a big deal. Haha! Ok, not really, but I had an added interest. This is someone I have met and respect, someone who I have plans to stay up all night talking to and ice cream with when I make a trip to England. Apparently, I need to rethink the ice cream thing though based on the confession in the book. But I wanted to learn how she has become the person and author she is.
I’m not going to summarize her life or the book, just read it, but I want to address a few points that involve the impact that actions and statements and beliefs can have in which Amanda addresses through her literary talents in this book:
The impact of mental health on the entire family. Over the last few years, there has finally been an increased look at mental health as we slowly chip away the stigma associated with it. Amanda takes this topic head on. From her own anxiety and self-doubts to the battles her son faces. It takes courage to be so open and honest, but it also takes compassion to share painful stories that others can learn from. So, if you are planning on reading this, just know there are tough topics, and it’s real. No sugar coating here.
Self appearance, self love. Amanda spends a good portion discussing her weight challenges over the course of her life. But she does it in a way that explores the why and how she got there and the truths she had to discover about herself. What woman can’t relate to this to some degree? It’s hard in a world of filters and photoshop not to compare yourself to other people. To feel that you’re not good enough or pretty enough. The idea of “you have to love yourself first” is not easy. The path she describes is difficult, but the destination and the displays of unconditional love are awe inspiring. My husband has battled with his weight his whole life, and even though he is not a “woman like us” it doesn’t make what he goes through or how he feels any different. All it does is show that Amanda’s story goes beyond just women.
Cancer and physical illnesses/conditions. In our interview, she shared with us about her cancer. In the book, she explains a little more on the topic, but not as much as she shares regarding her experiences as a teenager with a condition that stole her opportunity to be a normal teenager. Amanda is a master at words and is able to describe the experiences to where I wanted to cry with her. The empathy was heartbreaking. My husband has leukemia, and I know the impact that it can have on the body. Not just the disease, but the treatment and healing aspects. The fear that it instills.
The power of adult words on youthful ears. As a child we all have big dreams because we haven’t been beaten down, self-doubt hasn’t been introduced and we truly believe that anything is possible. However, the second your dream is scoffed at is the moment that a child is changed forever. Have a Plan B because Plan A is impossible. Again, I immediately thought of my own son. My smart 16 year old boy who, when he was in 1st grade had his teacher tell him that he was a struggling reader. Before that moment, he never thought he wasn’t a good reader. A decade later, he still doesn’t like to read and even tells his group members on projects in his English class that he’s not a good reader so don’t give him the reading parts. He has straight As in Honors English and is taking AP Lang and Comp next year; he IS a good reader! See, “Women Like Us.” I get it Amanda. I feel it.
Overall, I thought it was a powerful book. One that is open and honest. With everything I already stated, Amanda does disclose how she finally got into writing and how she made her dream of becoming an author come true. The role the library played in her childhood in establishing her love of reading. She covers it all.
She really does lay her emotions out on the table and bears her soul. There were moments in the book where I felt ready to move on to the next piece to the story, but I honestly think that it is more me and my typical lack of interest in this genre than anything else.
If you enjoy memoirs, I can’t imagine you not liking this book, and it’ll probably be almost impossible to read it and not make some type of connection to Amanda’s story.
Where does it land on my bookshelf?
I would put it on my top shelf. The writing is perfect in delivering her voice. After having spoken with her, I could actually hear her voice in my head at certain points of the book. It’s not easy to get a book published, I don’t think anyone is naïve enough to think it is, but it’s possible, and those who work for it will do it. This book shows how it just takes one person in one moment with one opportunity to make a childhood dream come true. I am still a fan of Mandy Prowse, and I can’t wait to make that trip to England to share an all nighter talking and laughing and crying about the lives we’ve led and lessons we’ve learned.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Speaking LITerally podcast! Our monthly misadventures into all things literary. Separated by the Atlantic, Liz and I come together in our love of reading!!! Find us wherever you listen to your other favorite podcasts! Click here to find us on iHeartRadio!
If you are really bored you can read about some of my personal adventures in life raising two teenagers and loving a husband who is fighting Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and all the lesson I learn along the way. Educate This.