Jen's Reviews > The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing

I love memoirs and was excited to read this one. Hardin's story of overcoming addiction is compelling, but her finger-pointing at those she stole from and her constant complaining about prison life didn’t sit right with me. She states multiple times in the book that she knows exactly how much money she stole (while under the influence of hard drugs) and complains that her victims inflated this number. She also states that her house was always clean and safe for her kids while she and her husband were doing hard drugs which I find unlikely. She complains about life in prison and losing custody of her children, expressing the idea that prisoners would rehabilitate better if they were more comfortable. However, she became an addict while living in a nice house in the suburbs. She was living a comfortable life when she turned to drugs and stealing. She fails to admit that a person gives up freedom and comfort when they decide to break the law and put their kids in serious danger. Overall, it was a compelling story, but I think less complaining and more personal responsibility would have made it much better.