Danielle Henderson

"A sharp, hilarious memoir about a nontraditional upbringing and growing up Black in a predominantly white community"--

A Memoir

The Ugly Cry

Lauren Attaway

The Ugly Cry was such a complex, uncompromisingly sad read. I feel like I can’t say I enjoyed reading it because I don’t want people to think they’re getting a laugh out loud memoir, although this is an excellent memoir. I think the mistake I must have heard was that this was hilariously sad. I like books that contain a multitude of emotions, and this one definitely fits in that category. Really well-written, and makes me eager to hear the rest of Danielle's journey with her mom!

Salam Kabbani

In this memoir Danielle Henderson walks us through her childhood in all its glory, the good, the bad, and the ugly in such a comedic and at times heartbreaking way. 

She talks about her very dysfunctional dynamics with her mother and the emotional and physical abuse her and her brother had to endure from her mother's boyfriend. She talked about her hardass grandma showed her kindness and tenderness when she needed it most and how that bond has continued to develop until this day. 

She talks about how all the kids growing up in her generation were pretty much outside all summer and that meant they had to figure out ways to use the restroom that did not involve being indoors. She talked about the "kid code" that we all learned about when we were young and questioned the efficacy of that in an actual kidnapping situation. She dealt with these arguably heart-breaking scenarios in such a comical way, and that pretty much captures the essence of her memoir. Dealing with a very rugged and at times abusive upbringing with comedy. She talks about how her experiences made her the badass woman that she is now, and how they have molded her. 

Overall this was an enjoyable listen (audiobook) though there were some very difficult scenes, involving pedophilia, assault, and abuse. 

The reason I gave it 3 stars is that I wasn't really sure what the overall goal of the book was. This might be because my upbringing was so far removed from that of the author's and perhaps I would have better connected and better resonated with the book if I had any shared experiences. Then again, it is a memoir, so it definitely accomplished the goal of walking in the author's shoes and it really broadened my horizon to be very gentle with people, because we never know what someone has gone through or is currently going through. Overall a good read. 

CW: Pedophilia, emotional and physical abuse, parental neglect on many levels.

The Ugly Cry A Memoir

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