I read many many books and this book hit so close to home - I could not put it down. Growing up in a similar family environment allowed me to understand why she wrote the book. Jeanette and her siblings deal with issues which we had to deal with, and in similar ways. The story about her father disappearing for days at a time, and little or no food in the house. She tells the truth, but brings the humour into it. When I speak with some of my siblings now about the past - we usually find ways to laugh about certain situations.