For Sarah

Annie Harmon
PublishAmerica (2005)
ISBN 141377010X
Reviewed by Ana Rubio for Reader Views (3/06)

In “For Sarah,” Annie Harmon tells the story of her family going through a life of abuse that was delivered in all kinds of ways by the person that was supposed to care for them; not only by providing home and shelter, but giving them a sense of security, and family values. The mother went along with him because she had been taught that the man was head of the family, and he was always right.

This is a story of the survival of six sisters, one by one telling their experience at different times in their lives. Annie gives them their own distinct personalities, which is very attention-grabbing.

I can relate to this book in a special way as it came to me in a period of personal struggle. I was coming out of a bad relationship and trying to get my life back on track. “For Sarah” reassured me I had made the best choice for the sake of my family. This book helped to reinforce my conviction that no matter how great a ‘significant other’ looks to you, kids come first.

Although I liked this story, sometimes I found myself having a hard time keeping up with the characters. They were coming in and out at different times, and I sometimes had to go back and forth just to keep up with everyone in the book. I was moved by the ending of the story as everybody, in their own way, found peace. This made it worth reading.

Annie’s use of language makes “For Sarah” easy to read and understand. She uses a very subtle style, giving you just enough of an idea of the horrible experiences of their childhood. She is very careful of not being too specific, which makes this book a good read for people that enjoy memoirs, but also general readers. I am sure she will have a successful career

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