Official Review: Voiceless by Marie McCreadie

[Kibet Hillary]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Voiceless" by Marie McCreadie.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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“Looking back might be a cathartic, or a nostalgic or a painful process, but maybe its value can best be measured by how it helps us live in the present and look forward to the future,” Marie McCreadie.

The setting of the story begins in the early twentieth century in England. Living standards were different then. These were the days when streetlights ran on gas and old ripped newspapers were used as toilet paper. The author’s grandmother was a diligent worker who managed to adequately support her father, five children and three siblings alone. The author and her family migrated to Australia on February 7, 1971. The migration had many profound effects on the author since she had not been involved in the decision-making process. She began missing her extended family once they arrived in Australia. Her grandmother had described the country as ‘a paradise at the bottom of the earth and close to hell’. The paradise held a lot of surprises in store for her.

Voiceless is a nonfiction book that was authored by Marie McCreadie. The memoir is a personal account of the author before and after she lost her voice. The book contains approximately 204 pages and is divided into 24 chapters. The chapters are organized in chronological order and hence making it easier to follow the story. The book was published in 2019 by InHouse Publishing, Australia.

One of the key lessons I liked most in the book was the need to press on despite the daunting obstacles in life. The author underwent very many fierce struggles, but she had to move on. The greatest challenges arose after she had lost her voice. No one could explain how this had happened and ended up creating many theories. Some insisted it was a punishment from God and came up with some solutions they imagined would help. The author ended up feeling miserable, lonely, and unloved. Her grandmother had always encouraged her never to give up, and I believe this encouragement came in handy here. She regained her voice one day after several years. How did this happen? What had caused her to lose her voice? You will have to read the entire memoir to know more and learn several other valuable lessons.

There is nothing I disliked about the book. The story was narrated vividly, and hence it was easy to understand it. The language employed was straightforward, and editing was also professionally done. There was a lot of humor in the book as well. One of the things I immensely enjoy about memoirs is the lessons I will derive from them. I am delighted this one had many pragmatic lessons. The importance of confidentiality and the effects of breaking it were illustrated well. The need for genuine friendship was also handled brilliantly.

Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I heartily recommend it to all ardent fans of memoirs. I am sure all readers will be challenged to have a different perspective on life after reading this book.

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Voiceless
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[kandscreeley]

This seems quite interesting. I'm curious how and why the author loses her voice. It's something I think I must find out. Thanks for a good review.

[Nelsy Mtsweni]

Wow!!! I MUST read the book!!! I want to know how she lost and regained her voice. Thanks for the flawless, great review.

[Magnify3]

The hard working grandmother is an interesting character. The how and why the author lost her voice sounds interesting too. Thanks for the review!

[Margi zuu202]

voiceless is the extraordinary true story of marie who is inexplicably struck mute thought her teenage years