What Freedom Smells Like Paperback – April 21, 2014

The author leaves much of the story out. She does not elaborate on her mental hospital stay. She does not disclose the information she found out about her late husband when she discovered he lied about his past. He had relatives she could have asked but she does not give the reader any information making him seem like a fictional character in the book. What made her want to be with black men that were "dangerous" other than to shock her parents? She gives brief information about her deceased husband's spiritual returns and messages to her. She also does not wrap up the story line by giving the reader information about her present life. She remarried but only lives with her daughter? There is a lot more to the story but the author fails to tell the story. I am glad she found her voice and strength to be herself through this journey of privileged life, abused wife, mental patient, and white guilt to become the actor she wanted to be. I think her editor did her a disservice by not having her go more in-depth into the people in her life and why she felt so much white guilt and mental anguish when she had what appeared to be a very nice childhood. An emotionally distant mother and a mildly bigoted father is not reason enough to cut yourself and wind up in a mental hospital. People grow up in far worse situations and do not wind up in the mental hospital. There was more going on in her head than the author tells. I would like to know what her other mental health issues were and how she was coping with them now since she was diagnosed with a personality disorder. It would have made a more compelling story and I would have felt more emotion towards the author and her characters if she would have gone into more detail.

I can't relate to abuse in which Ms. Lewis suffered by her spouse personally, but being a Victims Advocate I've seen too much. I suffer from a lot of the same emotional problems that she has. I so applaud her in being able to get her life back and to turn the negatives to positives. This wonderfully written memoir will touch and help others see how important it is to help women who are in pain feel trapped. She has a built for herself a beautiful support system, she has an awesome family. That and her determination saved her life. Thank you, Mrs Lewis for sharing your struggles and showing that there is light at the end of tunnel.

While reading it, I had times it felt like it was a fiction story, because of all the different feelings and stories embroidered throughout the book,but it was interesting , it was really down to earth as if she was having a conversation with the reader. I enjoyed the fact that she expressed all her feelings and found people that helped her become who she is now!

Some of this book was hard to read because there was a lot of repetition. Overall it was a book I could relate too on some level and liked what Amy had written in her book. She did a wonderful job the way she described how events happened and why she did the things she did. Highly recommend for those who have been in an abusive relationship or have similar issues as the author.

Either this author held back major truths or this is a work of fiction. I was diagnosed in my 20s with Borderline Personality Disorder myself. I balked at the idea until a friend with a psychology degree made the same diagnosis. The way she describes her personality is nearly the polar opposite of any bpd I know. It was an interesting story, but I can't believe it's the memoir of someone who suffers from bpd.

in some ways a difficult book to read, however, well writtennot one that i would read again though

Eh, this book was okay. While I could see a lot of my younger self in the author, her dedication to this man was disturbing.

I really enjoyed this book and could identify with Amy and some of the issues she dealt with. Emotional at times and made me laugh at others. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors. Definitely a recommended read!

Interesting...