For readers of Room and The Glass Castle, an astonishing memoir of one woman rising above an unimaginable childhood.
Maude Julien's parents were fanatics who believed it was their sacred duty to turn her into the ultimate survivor--raising her in isolation, tyrannizing her childhood and subjecting her to endless drills designed to "eliminate weakness." Maude learned to hold an electric fence for minutes without flinching, and to sit perfectly still in a rat-infested cellar all night long (her mother sewed bells onto her clothes that would give her away if she moved). She endured a life without heat, hot water, adequate food, friendship, or any kind of affectionate treatment.
But Maude's parents could not rule her inner life. Befriending the animals on the lonely estate as well as the characters in the novels she read in secret, young Maude nurtured in herself the compassion and love that her parents forbid as weak. And when, after more than a decade, an outsider managed to penetrate her family's paranoid world, Maude seized her opportunity.
By turns horrifying and magical, The Only Girl in the World is a story that will grip you from the first page and leave you spellbound, a chilling exploration of psychological control that ends with a glorious escape.
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (December 12, 2017)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
Reviews
"A harrowing yet achingly beautiful tale of a girl imprisoned by her brutal, fanatic family, but whose yearning for wonder and love ultimately drives her toward the improbable light of the world. . . The Only Girl in the World is a story of resilience unlike any I have ever read." - Mira Bartók, author of the National Book Critics Circle Award Winner The Memory Palace
"In the hierarchy of traumatic memoir, Maude Julien has something to write home about. . . The Only Girl in the World is the haunting story of a girl whose survivalist parents locked her away and subjected her to 'training' starting at the age of three. But it is also proof that love is in our nature regardless of our nurture." - Vanity Fair
"One of the most original and compelling stories I've read. A tale of hope and profound courage, The Only Girl in the World illustrates how trusting ourselves and following our hearts can save us from the most oppressive and cruel conditions. Her brave spirit shines as a bright reminder that what lies within us is stronger and more powerful than our circumstances." - Ruth Wariner, New York Times bestselling author of The Sound of Gravel
"A disturbing, engrossing memoir. . . A startling testament of survival." - Kirkus
"Chilling." - In Style
"A living testimony of resilience... An account as gripping as it is inspiring." - Elle
"This is not the umpteenth book about a miraculously saved victim. It is much more, and much better. . . One of the most fascinating things about this memoir is the extraordinary resistance Maude developed ... her ability to create a world for herself." - Le Journal du Dimanche
"This story is never maudlin-it is so absorbing that you have to remind yourself to breathe from time to time." - Le Point
No comments:
Post a Comment