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ZLS Book Review:
Drowning in a Mother’s Womb
Author: Ciara L. Anderson
Pages: 304 pages
ISBN: 978-1-60643-133-7
Loyal Publishing
www.loyalpublishing.org
List Price: $14.95

Reviewer: Lishone’ Bowsky, ZLS Publishing, LLC

“When your father and mother forsake you, then the Lord will take you up… Psalm 27:10″

Will he? Does he?

This is the question that runs through one’s mind as they sit and read the life story of Ciara L. Anderson, a.k.a. Rain. Having decided to commit suicide but failed, Rain ends up talking to a psychologist who threatens to have her committed if she doesn’t go into explaining why she tried to take her own life. While, Rain would love nothing more than to stay silent or write her problems down, she is forced to open up about a childhood that isn’t, but really is, her life story after the police find a book they believe was written by Rain.

The character Rain, goes on to describe how her family moved every few months, her mother’s gambling addiction, her mothers abuse towards her and the favortism showed between her and her sisters. It goes into details about a rape as well as an attempted rape due to the hands of her mother’s stupidity. It details domestic violence that no child should ever have to see. It details her mothers constant battle and somewhat success to ruin her child’s life because she felt hers was ruined by the dead-beat-dad. It details her mother’s choosing her man over her children, time and time again.

There are so many issues in this book, both good and bad. Some which, make you question your religion if you are religious or the existence of God if you are an athesis. The bad include: mothers choosing men over their children; physical, mental, sexual and emotional abuse; suicide; child abuse; neglect; psychosis; single parenting; domestic violence; the flaws in both the police and foster care system; homelessness; drugs; drug addiction; murder; manipulation, and gangs. The good issues include: the strength of Rain who seems very resilient despite her homelife; the love and strength of family support and the love and generosity of complete strangers.

Written like a fiction book, the genre is actually non-fiction/psychology/abuse/self-help. The way it is written is part of the problem with this book. It reads like an Urban-Fiction novel, with graphic detail of a life that television shows such as the HBO Show-The Wire, do no justice too. It also ends like a fiction novel as it has you on the edge of your seat, waiting for a continuation. It states at the beginning of the novel, that the author will continue her story with more books. This is something not really seen in non-fiction books.

Usually, non-fiction books get straight to the point, while this book takes us on a sort-of-roller coaster ride to her life’s story. Maybe, this is how the author wanted it. She wanted to take her time in building an understanding of her life’s story. Her goal was to inspire others who have been through similiar situations or who may one day go through a similiar situation. I’d say that she accomplished this, as anyone who reads it will be inspired. Having grown up in the NYC Foster Care system, I can relate to the story on a lot of levels. I am inspired by her resilience, as I often am, when I meet or read about other foster care success stories such as mine. She choose not to be a stastic and to fight back, which is never an easy thing to do.

The other issue with this book is the beginning of certain chapters start with poetry. Again, not something seen in a non-fiction book. Some of the poems were good, others I didn’t particularly care for.  This book needs to be recategorized as a fiction book as it really isn’t a non-fiction book. Drowning in a Mother’s Womb is definitely a page turner despite it’s flaws, which by the way include the book cover which I’m really not a fan of, but I get the point. I do like the book title as I found it intriguing. The book flows very well as there are just the right amount of detail, conversations go well, the grammar is decent despite the slang and there’s a climatic ending. 

When your father and mother forsake you, then the Lord will take you up…Psalm 27:10″

Will he? Does he?

It definitely looks that way for Rain.

I’m giving this book 4 out of 5 stars!