The Many Lives of Mama Love- A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin
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Web ID: 17821975Resilience and Redemption
Lara Love Hardin’s memoir is a powerful, emotional ride. At times, I had to remind myself it wasn’t fiction—it’s that vivid and gripping. From the first page, Hardin pulls you into her world of addiction, shame, and the tough journey to redemption. Her recovery isn’t easy—it's messy, awkward, and raw—but it's also deeply inspiring, making you want to cheer her on every step of the way. But this book isn’t just about her personal journey. Hardin also highlights the flaws in the criminal justice system, sharing how she faced 32 felonies, spent a year in jail, and faced challenges that would break most people. But through sheer resilience, she turns her pain into strength, showing what it really takes to rebuild a life from scratch. I admire her courage in sharing such a painful chapter of her life so openly. This memoir has it all—heartbreak, hope, frustration, inspiration, and even moments of humor. It grabs your heart and sticks with you long after you’ve finished. If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect, The Many Lives of Mama Love is a must-read. I can’t recommend it enough! Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this advance copy.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Powerful Must-Read
Can I just say, “WOW,” and call that my review? Or maybe, “Everyone needs to read this book!” Also, I’m an idiot for letting this sit unread on my shelf for so long. Some descriptors: beautifully written, impactful, poignant, emotional. The Many Lives of Mama Love is truly one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. It’s raw and honest and real. More descriptors. I seem to have a lot of them. Lara Love Hardin smashes society’s stereotypes of an ex-addict with a prison record. Her journey embodies redemption. She reminds us that we’re all complex humans, not to be defined by the worst thing we’ve ever done. I switched between reading the print book and listening to the audiobook, which the author narrates herself. I highly recommend either/both. *Huge thank you to Simon Books for the free print copy.*
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
By far one of the best
By far one of the BEST memoirs I have ever read. I laughed, I cried, I bawled, most importantly as a mother, I could relate to some things. What makes this even better is the author narrates her own audiobook..
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Gripping read!
I won a box of books and this one was included. It sounded interesting and wow was it ever! The fact that she started off the book by saying what an avid reader she was grabbed me in immediately. I found myself rooting for her throughout despite all that she had done in the name of drug addiction. This Memoir is powerful, raw, emotional and yet another example of how drug addiction affects someone and their family, friends, loved ones and the people around them. Regardless of her addiction she always had her Children on her mind which really helped in her path to overcoming her pitfalls and changing her life. Thankfully she did rise above it all served her time, got clean and sober and went on to a career she loves and is well suited for. Wishing "Mama Love" continued sober living and success. Thank you to Adriana Trigiani for this book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Story of Redemption
"I thought what I craved was approval and praise, but it's simpler than that. I craved acceptance. For all the different versions of me I have been, and all the many lives I have lived." (p.283) In this honest and vulnerable memoir we follow Lara Love Hardin through her downfall from suburban mother to drug-addicted convict, and then her evolution as she finds her spirit again in the most unlikely of places: jail. She gathers her strength and focuses on her desire to be the mother her children deserve and upon release that motivates her, despite countless setbacks from a system built to see her fail. She rises and thrives, finally living her best life. I was so impressed with this memoir. I would never have expected a story about a women who commits fraud to feed her drug-addiction, and then goes to jail, to be relatable, but that is exactly the word that came to mind as I was reading this. So relatable. Because even if I have never been in that exact circumstance, I have been in places where I felt desperate, or overwhelmed, or heck, sitting across the dinner table from perfectly fine in-laws that I just don't feel like I fit in with. Lara's vulnerability resonated with me and I think all women and mothers will see themselves in parts of this story. I also really appreciate the light Lara shines on the failings of the corrections system, particularly how it is set against women & men being released after serving their sentences. There's often not a lot of sympathy for ex-cons, and a pervasive "they deserved it" attitude when they end up back in jail, but as a criminology student I spent a lot of time studying how difficult it is to succeed once you've been in the system, and how important corrections reform is in this country. Lara is able to illustrate this perfectly with her experience, and also avoids a "poor me" attitude. In fact, I was impressed by her many moments of self-reflection and accountability when it came to her crimes and missteps throughout the book. I found myself really rooting for Lara and honestly just wanting to give her a big hug and wishing I could have been there for her. That's how I know this was a good book, I felt I left the reading with a new friend. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys memoirs, and I have to say I think women readers will especially find a connection to this one.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Compelling, well-written memoir
"I thought I had to convince the whole world that I am more than the worst thing I have done, the worst person I have been, but really I just have to convince myself." Lara Love Hardin, The Many Lives of Mama Love The subtitle of The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin perfectly summarizes it: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing. Ms. Hardin is a white upper middle-class woman who became addicted to drugs, stole from her neighbors to support her habit, served time in jail, struggled to meet the conflicting requirements of probation, and slowly reassembled her family and professional life one step at a time. This was definitely a 'window' book; I have no first-hand experience with the American criminal justice system, and I don't have children so I couldn't fully relate to Ms. Hardin's pain of being separated from her sons, especially her youngest at age 4. At times, I was frustrated with her, her then-husband, fellow inmates, but especially 'the system.' I was surprised by how prevalent drugs were in jail and by the complete lack of coordination between the components of her post-release requirements. I read this while on a very relaxing vacation; the difference between my unscheduled days and Ms. Hardin's very restrictive life was a sharp contrast. The writing is superb and compelling, which makes sense as the author's career began as a ghostwriter and she's now the founder and CEO of a literary agency. She carefully crafts the first and last sentence of every chapter, and I often read longer than I intended ... "just one more chapter." I admire her for overcoming her deep feelings of shame about her past to tell her story and hopefully inspire others, or serve as a cautionary tale. Although Ms. Hardin invested tremendous effort and energy into reinventing her life and creating the happy and successful life she currently has, I would have appreciated her addressing the privileges she had throughout the process as a white, well educated person. Some powerful people came into her life at the right time. She worked very hard to maximize these opportunities, but I wonder if others would have been given the same chances as her. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the print review copy of this memoir.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Personal, emotional, and heartfelt memoir.
This was such a personal, emotional and heartfelt book! The subject matter is sometimes difficult to read, but it is so worth it. Lara Love Hardin speaks honestly about the trials and tribulations she has gone through in her life, what led her to the bad decisions and what leads her to the good ones. This is a story about lifting yourself up and forgiving yourself for your past mistakes, no matter how bad they were. It is definitely worth a read. Highly recommend. 5/5 stars. *** I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Lara Love Hardin for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Incredible!!
WOW! Such an incredible life Lara Love has had! She first tells us about her drug addiction around the time of her arrest. We learn later about her incarceration and then how her love for her sons motivated her to dig herself out of a life of crime and drug abuse. Through incredible persistence with her parole, and setbacks galore, she has been able to acquire the career that she was meant for. And through forgiveness, she is living the life that she is proud of. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read a review The Many Lives of Mama Love.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com