American Daughter

American Daughter is a gorgeously written but vulnerable account of a young Stephanie growing up in a world that looks nothing like the American Dream we're all promised--no white picket fence or parents to keep her safe. She sleeps on floors and lives in a car with a mother who is unstable on her best days and incredibly dangerous on her worst.
I loved this story because of its optimism and Stephanie's unshakeable belief that she could have a different life than the one she'd born into. Her story resonates with resilience and bravery and as a teacher, it explained… show more.

I loved this book because it’s a true hero’s journey—from an unimaginable start in life to an awe-inspiring grand finale—Stephanie overcame everything and found light at the end of her dark tunnel. She was abused, abandoned, and on her own from a young age—all things I felt on a visceral level because I know the shame of feeling unloved and unwanted.

The title also struck me because of all we’re promised as citizens in this country,  but our most vulnerable are left without the resources to pursue their happiness. This memoir is not only about the strength of the human… show more.

American Daughter caught my interest because of the title. I was writing a novel based on my father’s search for the American Dream, and we had a contentious relationship. I always felt like the American Daughter of an Argentine dad.

American Daughter, however, didn’t really have anything to do with being American aside from showing the realities or another side of the American Dream, the pain, the struggle, and the brokenness of American families.

I ended up relating to this book much more than I expected. The author’s mother was mentally unstable, selfish, and unable to actually mother. My father,… show more.

What I loved most about this book was the determined persistence of the author to rise above the negligence and abandonment she suffered in childhood to become a decent, functioning, compassionate adult, one who ultimately takes the time to understand her mother’s history. Stephanie Thornton Plymale had every reason to walk away from her damaged mother and never look back, but she doesn’t. I love that she found the courage and empathy to move beyond her own difficult past to understand her mother’s history. I was riveted by this compelling, beautifully crafted book.