Review of My Life in the Dark

[Priya Murugesan]

I’m not reviewing it. Just reading for pleasure.

Oh! Wow! Then just share your comment after reading!

[Denise Clark]

I will do that!

[Sarah Zain]

It sounds like a story of a strong woman. I appreciate women who do not accept abuse or justify it, but rather try to move forward with their lives and protect their children. Your review is beautifully written and you conveyed the idea wonderfully.

[Priya Murugesan]

It sounds like a story of a strong woman. I appreciate women who do not accept abuse or justify it, but rather try to move forward with their lives and protect their children. Your review is beautifully written and you conveyed the idea wonderfully.

Thank you!

[Gerry Steen]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "My Life in the Dark" by Kathleen M Kline.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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"My Life in the Dark: A Marriage Built on Lies" is a powerful memoir by Kathleen M. Kline. In this riveting narrative, she walks us through her life journey as she puts on a brave face to endure the struggles she and her children face due to an abusive ex-husband. Kathleen was married to Cody for over twelve years, and they have three children: 10-year-old Ethan, 8-year-old Emma, and 5-year-old Bella. In the compelling first chapter, Kathleen discovers that her husband's name is not Cody but Michael. This is just the beginning of a series of lies. From there, Kathleen and the readers are bombarded with so many deceptions. We can clearly witness how their marriage was built on lies, and she was living in the dark. As she points out, there are twelve lies in their marriage certificate. I just couldn't believe the astonishing amount of fabrications he made, including concealing his previous marriage. Kathleen applies for a divorce immediately. But that leads to the beginning of their ordeal. Michael turns into a stalker, and Kathleen is forced to move from place to place with her children and horses to evade him. He disregards law enforcement and the restraining order placed against him and violates them often. Even deportation doesn't deter him. Throughout her endeavors, Kathleen's strength is tested numerous times, but she finds support from many kind-hearted people along the way. How does she confront all these challenges? Can she safeguard herself and her children from Mike's stalking hands? Does she successfully move on in her life and begin anew? Grab the book to find out the answers.

The memoir is written in first-person perspective, which puts us right in the scene. I loved the author's conversational style of writing. It effectively conveyed her thoughts and created a stronger connection between her and the readers. I appreciated the use of bold letters in some places to emphasize important points. The cover was an eye-catcher, and it was the first thing that attracted me. 

Although I'm not familiar with horses, I love animals a lot. So I enjoyed reading the scenes involving horses and dogs. I absolutely loved the dogs Coojoe and Brax. When Kathleen had to leave her pets, I genuinely felt sad and got teary-eyed. It was distressing to read about the loss of their home and their possessions in the fire. At one point, when Kathleen is overwhelmed by her struggles, she finds comfort and clarity in her ordinary, routine tasks. It is quite true and has helped me to focus on my problems and reach a solution. I was also impressed by the idea of Kathleen writing a journal for Ethan. 

This book would be an eye-opener for people dealing with abusive relationships. Many women believe everything is normal and bear with all the harassment and abuse. Reading this book will surely enlighten them and help them to realize and overcome their predicaments. 

The pacing was a bit slow in the middle, but it picked up later, and I just couldn't put the book down. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and really wanted to know what happened afterward. The part about Michael's family and his previous marriages was cut off too suddenly and wasn't clearly portrayed. Like Kathleen, I can't understand why no one told her the truth about Michael. I would love to know more about that. Additionally, I felt the depiction of the abuse could have been highlighted more effectively to make a much stronger impact. Giving Ethan a knife for protection didn't feel right. Also, I didn't expect Kathleen to send him to his dad when he was aggressive towards the girls. But these are just my personal opinions. I noticed some errors while reading. So for the above-mentioned reasons, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars. Those who like gripping stories of women facing resilience in the face of betrayal, abuse, and fear will appreciate this memoir. This story made a lasting impression on my mind, and I sincerely hope that whoever is in such an abusive relationship gets help and comes out of it. 

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My Life in the Dark
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

The review of this book reminded me of the movie "Enough" which starred Jeniifer Lopez. This memoir must be suspenseful and gripping. Any woman who has to deal with the stalking and threats of an ex-husband or ex-lover has to be very courageous and resourceful; even more so when children are involved. I hope other women will recieve inspiration and encouragement from reading this woman's memoirs. Thank you for this review.

[Anu Anand]

The strength and resilience shown in facing such challenges are inspiring. It's heartbreaking to imagine going through such betrayal. I hope this book helps many find the courage to overcome similar struggles. Thank you for sharing.

[Priya Murugesan]

The strength and resilience shown in facing such challenges are inspiring. It's heartbreaking to imagine going through such betrayal. I hope this book helps many find the courage to overcome similar struggles. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks a lot for reading my review!

[Priya Murugesan]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "My Life in the Dark" by Kathleen M Kline.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Share This Review

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"My Life in the Dark: A Marriage Built on Lies" is a powerful memoir by Kathleen M. Kline. In this riveting narrative, she walks us through her life journey as she puts on a brave face to endure the struggles she and her children face due to an abusive ex-husband. Kathleen was married to Cody for over twelve years, and they have three children: 10-year-old Ethan, 8-year-old Emma, and 5-year-old Bella. In the compelling first chapter, Kathleen discovers that her husband's name is not Cody but Michael. This is just the beginning of a series of lies. From there, Kathleen and the readers are bombarded with so many deceptions. We can clearly witness how their marriage was built on lies, and she was living in the dark. As she points out, there are twelve lies in their marriage certificate. I just couldn't believe the astonishing amount of fabrications he made, including concealing his previous marriage. Kathleen applies for a divorce immediately. But that leads to the beginning of their ordeal. Michael turns into a stalker, and Kathleen is forced to move from place to place with her children and horses to evade him. He disregards law enforcement and the restraining order placed against him and violates them often. Even deportation doesn't deter him. Throughout her endeavors, Kathleen's strength is tested numerous times, but she finds support from many kind-hearted people along the way. How does she confront all these challenges? Can she safeguard herself and her children from Mike's stalking hands? Does she successfully move on in her life and begin anew? Grab the book to find out the answers.

The memoir is written in first-person perspective, which puts us right in the scene. I loved the author's conversational style of writing. It effectively conveyed her thoughts and created a stronger connection between her and the readers. I appreciated the use of bold letters in some places to emphasize important points. The cover was an eye-catcher, and it was the first thing that attracted me. 

Although I'm not familiar with horses, I love animals a lot. So I enjoyed reading the scenes involving horses and dogs. I absolutely loved the dogs Coojoe and Brax. When Kathleen had to leave her pets, I genuinely felt sad and got teary-eyed. It was distressing to read about the loss of their home and their possessions in the fire. At one point, when Kathleen is overwhelmed by her struggles, she finds comfort and clarity in her ordinary, routine tasks. It is quite true and has helped me to focus on my problems and reach a solution. I was also impressed by the idea of Kathleen writing a journal for Ethan. 

This book would be an eye-opener for people dealing with abusive relationships. Many women believe everything is normal and bear with all the harassment and abuse. Reading this book will surely enlighten them and help them to realize and overcome their predicaments. 

The pacing was a bit slow in the middle, but it picked up later, and I just couldn't put the book down. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and really wanted to know what happened afterward. The part about Michael's family and his previous marriages was cut off too suddenly and wasn't clearly portrayed. Like Kathleen, I can't understand why no one told her the truth about Michael. I would love to know more about that. Additionally, I felt the depiction of the abuse could have been highlighted more effectively to make a much stronger impact. Giving Ethan a knife for protection didn't feel right. Also, I didn't expect Kathleen to send him to his dad when he was aggressive towards the girls. But these are just my personal opinions. I noticed some errors while reading. So for the above-mentioned reasons, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars. Those who like gripping stories of women facing resilience in the face of betrayal, abuse, and fear will appreciate this memoir. This story made a lasting impression on my mind, and I sincerely hope that whoever is in such an abusive relationship gets help and comes out of it. 

******
My Life in the Dark
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

The review of this book reminded me of the movie "Enough" which starred Jeniifer Lopez. This memoir must be suspenseful and gripping. Any woman who has to deal with the stalking and threats of an ex-husband or ex-lover has to be very courageous and resourceful; even more so when children are involved. I hope other women will recieve inspiration and encouragement from reading this woman's memoirs. Thank you for this review.

Thank you! I haven't seen that film!

[Sasikala gupta]

Memoirs are usually not my kind of books but your detailed review does justice to the novel and wants me to know more about Kathleen and others life. Good job

[Priya Murugesan]

Memoirs are usually not my kind of books but your detailed review does justice to the novel and wants me to know more about Kathleen and others life. Good job

Thank you!