I love memoirs. I’m always looking for the next best one. When I saw Why Didn’t I Notice Her Before?, a mental health memoir by Beth Cramer, I knew I needed to read it. I love anything mental health related, and memoirs are usually a glimpse into a life that I wouldn’t normally have.
That’s definitely what I got from this book.
This book does not have a happy ending. It has a hopeful ending. Beth Cramer has written a story full of hope, and of life, and of living. As much as I would love to tell you this is a happy book, I can’t. But it is a book worth reading.
I admit, I started the book with trepidation, because it starts with Beth’s having an abortion. I don’t believe in abortion, and it was a little upsetting to read about a woman getting one.
I didn’t let that stop me from reading this book, though, and I’m so glad I continued. The abortion wasn’t the focus of the story, it’s the catalyst that lets the actual story begin. This book is a memoir about a woman’s journey through cancer.
This book was given to me by Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
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Beth receives a cancer diagnosis in 2017: Stage 4 Ovarian. She had spent the past several years obsessively trying to have another child after her abortion and sees the cancer diagnosis as a kind of freedom from that obsession.
This freedom allows her to look at her life differently and do things differently than she did before. She notices things about herself she didn’t see before, hence the title of the book.
This is normally when I would post an excerpt for you to read, but I think that would take away from the story as a whole. I recommend that everyone read this book. I found more hope in this story than I thought I would.
To be honest, when the story started, I asked myself “OK, why did I request this book again? This is so depressing!” But I stuck with it and was so grateful I did.
Beth’s writing is positive, even during a sad, depressing experience. She was so vulnerable, and it popped through on the pages. I could tell she didn’t just want to pass on her own story, but she wanted to encourage the reader to create his or her own.
It doesn’t matter what areas of life we are going through; hope is a powerful thing. Living is a powerful thing. Surviving is not enough; we need to thrive through whatever is thrown at us.
If you enjoy memoirs, please read Why Didn’t I Notice Her Before?
If you enjoy a story that could send you running for the tissues every once in a while, please read Why Didn’t I Notice Her Before?
If you enjoy a story that is full of hope and life, please read Why Didn’t I Notice Her Before?
I hope I have given Why Didn’t I Notice Her Before? the justice it deserves, and I hope you can find it in yourself to get past the subject matter and find the life underneath.
Purchase Why Didn’t I Notice Her Before? on Amazon
I could go on and on about this book for an entire book by itself, but I think I’ll just recommend it, and let you discover it yourself. Please let me know what you think in the comments below!
Until Next Time, Friends!
