American Daughter

A Memoir

De: Stephanie Thornton Plymale, Elissa Wald

Narrado por: Mozhan Marno

The sharp and surprising true story of a woman who finally sets out to understand her past, and the mother she had one day hoped to forget. Full of unexpected twists and unbelievable revelations, American Daughter is an immersive memoir that will have you on the edge of your seat to the very last minute.

For years, Stephanie Plymale, successful CEO and interior designer, kept her past a fiercely guarded secret. Only her husband knew that her childhood was fraught with every imaginable hardship: neglect, hunger, poverty, homelessness, truancy, foster homes, a harrowing lack of medical care, and worse. Stephanie, in turn, knew very little about the past of her mother, who was in and out of jails and psych wards for most of Stephanie's formative years. All this changed when a series of shocking revelations forced Stephanie to revisit her tortured past and revise the meaning of every aspect of her compromised childhood.

American Daughter is the extraordinary true story of a young girl growing up on the wrong side of the American Dream. Stephanie has slept in blankets on the floor of crowded apartments, lived in the back seat of a car with her siblings, and spent decades looking over her shoulder at a mother who might just as easily hug or harm her. American Daughter is at once a moving account of a troubled mother-daughter relationship and a meditation on resilience, transcendence, and ultimately, redemption.

©2021 Stephanie Thornton Plymale (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Loved it

Emotional and engaging throughout. Loved the reflection of strength. Enlightened by the authors ability to overcome tragic and hurtful circumstances. Definitely recommend.

Must read.

Beautifully written. Page turner had it had pages! Sad story of how easy it is for disenfranchised to fall through the cracks.

Amazing story of family and survival

This book took me inside the lives of Stephanie and Florence. It made me laugh with them, cry for them and most of all root for Stephanie

Amazing

It is difficult to fathom how a child who grew up in poverty and bounced through foster homes could have grandparents of wealth and prosperity. This is the story of how a tragic life event altered the course of one child's life and thus her future and that of her family. A very good read!

Stands apart

This is a real story & very emotional. It taught me a lot about the importance of home. Stephanie has overcome like the great women of history.

Depressing at times

Better as it unravels. Husband is a good guy. Story tellers mother is crazy . Many awful pdople. The main character survives in spite of it all..

Fifty years of secrets, wow!!

American Daughter was jaw dropping throughout the book. I was so shocked to discover the secrets I found myself down the rabbit hole of history. Upon unraveling the facts, I was stunned to discover the facts of a well known family once again getting themselves out of trouble due to their political clout! Stephanie, my hope for you is that you can enjoy your children and future generations and continue to persevere. God bless you.

Amazing story! Loved it!

I absolutely loved this book! The author went through a lot of horrible things because of her mother, unforgivable things. I just wanted her mother to care about what was happening to her children. I love how the author was able to forgive her mother, and even have empathy for her, even though she didn’t really seem to deserve it. I’m not trying to give anything away, but it’s amazing what she finds out about her ancestry at the end of the book, loved it !

Kept interest through the whole book

Loved this book very interesting through out the whole presentation. Very well written and interpreted

Harrowing story of pain and forgiveness.

This was a very touching memoir. I couldn’t stop listening. The author’s resilience and the compassion she showed towards her mother is admirable beyond measure.