The Sky Isn’t Visible From Here

Author: Felicia C. Sullivan

Hardcover: 255 pages

Publisher: Algonquin Books (February 5, 2008)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1565125150

ISBN-13: 978-1565125155

Even without Mother Talk asking me to review this book, I was inspired to write a review as soon as I finished the last page.

The Sky Isn’t Visible from Here: Scenes from a Life is author Felicia Sullivan’s first book. It is a powerful memoir, a true recollection of life scenes she experienced growing up in the rough neighborhood of Brooklyn without someone to protect her other than herself. At a young age, she was her mother’s keeper other than what normally would be the other way around. At the same age, while I was going to school and enjoying my youth, Felicia had to take her mother to the hospital when she overdosed, conspire for her to steal or put up with her numerous stepfathers.

As a mother myself, I never ceased to wonder how a mother can do so much to her child. How a mother can love herself more. Isn’t a mother and daughter relationship or any among family members should be of love unconditional? I had so many questions while reading the book including going back to the first page to check if this was fiction. I wished it was fiction, especially for Felicia.

The book is written raw and straight, one could get the picture so well. In fact, I had most of the breath taking scenes playing in my mind as I turned it page after page. Felicia Sullivan’s book offers a direct and empowering perspective of love that should be shared by mother and daughters, or the lack of it. Compelling topics include accounts of addiction, alcohol dependency and the life in the dark streets of Brooklyn. A powerful book, one that would make you wonder how one child survived the emotional, physical and verbal abuse and still go on finish college, be a writer or simply go on with her life.

My mother also read the book and we are talking about the story almost everyday at home. We are touched and inspired by the book and appreciated what we have right now, a seemingly normal and loving mother and daughter relationship, despite some occasional disagreements. We will be passing this book to my sister.

If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it. Read it and see how you’ll appreciate the mother you have in your side right now, no matter how she nags at about almost everything in your life. All in all, a great memoir, something that would linger in your memories for some time.

One last note, Felicia and her mother have not seen each other for years but with all the raves and reviews of this book and the effectivitiy of blogs as information mediums, it could be possible that her estranged mom is somewhere reading her daughter’s memoir right now. It could even be possible that she would just appear one day. I guess I just have to check Felicia’s blog every now and then.