I would start off by saying that this is so far the most powerful and moving memoir that I have come across this year. If you are thinking Julie Coons is not a celebrity then why should we bother reading about her life? I would give you three reasons to go grab your copy right away:

1. She shares how she broke the cycle of abuse which, let’s face it, most of us are too afraid or too ignorant to do.
2. Despite living a life filled with all sorts of negativity, she inspires her readers towards positivity.
3. Her honest revelation of her life would encourage each of her readers to fight for their dreams and keep moving in spite of the difficult circumstances.

If you are still not convinced, you should just take my word for it and grab a copy of the book. You can thank me later.

Julie Coons did not have a normal childhood. To say that her mother took every opportunity to let her down would be the understatement of the century. For some unknown reason, she used every ammunition available to her against her own daughter. When Julie shared the tragic news of her rape, she did not believe her. She decided with no investigation that Julie must be lying to her. Why would a daughter lie about such a devastating news to her own mother? I don’t think she ever stopped to think before passing down that judgment. Julie’s father never stood up against his wife. These scars can throw anybody down the road to hell, but not Julie. She decided to turn her life around by working from a very early age and save money to the college because her father had already declared that he would be saving money for his son and not daughter; she can just get married. Wow!

What I shared with you are just small incidents from here and there; there are so many heartbreaking episodes that she suffered. Even after such incidents, she is one of the most positive persons. I have never met her but the positive vibes that I got from her vibes are too strong to ignore. Although her life has been a constant series of tough blows from each side, her memoir is not a sob fest. She has narrated the book not to extract sympathy from the readers; instead, she decided to jot it all down to encourage people to break the cycle of abuse, fight for what’s right, and remain positive.

This is a memoir that shares a child’s innermost thoughts when they are not being treated with love, a daughter’s deep need for acceptance when her mother is demeaning her every step of the way, a student’s tears when their teachers are disturbingly mean towards them, a wife’s fear for her life when she is with an abusive partner, a mother’s vow to never let her child face the same fate as hers, and a human’s determination to rise above it all. I know I would treasure This Does Not Leave This House by Julie Coons in my heart for a long time to come. If she can remain positive after all she went through, I am sure I can become a positivity powerhouse in no time. She is one of my role models now. I am sending warm hugs and a basket full of thanks to her way. I hope she knows how touched I am that I got the honor of reading her memoir.