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The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone
Reviewed by Ayoomisope
May 23, 2020
“This is one to definitely consider. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fictional stories, adventure, and a bit of suspense.”
The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone by Michael Brown is a historical fiction story about a young woman’s life, the diverse tragedies she had to face, and the numerous challenges, which became adventures, she had to endure and overcome.
Nora has a good family, being blessed with loving parents and two siblings, till it all goes sideways—starting from her family having to emigrate to witnessing the tragedy that Anne, her best friend, had to endure and suffering immense loss. On top of that, they end up in slavery. Can they find hope when all hope seems lost? Does Nora have enough heart and courage to persevere till the end despite the challenges?
“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do” is a great adage to accurately describe the book. Michael Brown masterfully delivers a story of family relationships, friendship, trust, faith, and courage.
I love the fact that the chapters of the book (all 44 chapters) were brief. It was fun reading them. I was hoping for a great ending and was glad the book did not disappoint. Michael Brown gracefully provided insights into how slaves felt while working for their masters. Being an African myself and having learned about slave trade, this work helped to further appreciate the efforts of notable personalities over the years to abolish slave trade. The fact that Nora went out of her way to try to do her best every time she had the chance despite being in situations she didn’t plan for and enduring intolerable hardship, demonstrating her faith and inner strength, is incredibly commendable.
I did not really like that a young girl had to suffer so much loss, although I guess this is one of the main themes of the work (the title even hints at this). I must say I do not recommend this book for people who do not have the stomach for stories that involve severe suffering. However, the book isn’t a complete tragedy, and there are several inspirational moments in it.
The book didn’t have any vulgar words, but there are some scenes with sexual content, making the work inappropriate for children. The book was professionally edited and does not contain any grammatical errors. I assign The Girl Who Was Me Is Gone a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. This is one to definitely consider. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fictional stories, adventure, and a bit of suspense.
