The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Story of Surprising Second Chances
Starred Review. I didnt become an advice columnist on purpose, writes Dickinson (author of the syndicated column Ask Amy) in her chapter titled Failing Up. In the summertime of 2002, after spending months living off of her credit cards between freelance writing jobs, Dickinson sent in an audition column to theChicago Tribuneand became the papers replacement for the late Ann Landers. Here, Dickinson traces her own personal history, as well as the history of her mothers family whose members make up the Mighty Queens of Freeville, N.Y., the small town where Dickinson was raised, and where she raised her own daughter between stints in London; New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Chicago. Dickinson writes with an honesty that is at once folksy and intelligent, and brings to life all of the struggles of raising a child (Dickinson was a single mother) and the challenges and rewards of having a supportive extended family. Im surrounded by people who are not impressed with me, Dickinson humorously laments. They dont care that my syndicated column has twenty-two million readers. Dickinsons irresistible memoir reads like a letter from an upbeat best friend.(Feb.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.