Name: Jordann Malone

Job title: Circulation assistant for the Jackson County Public Library

What’s the name of the book and author you are recommending?

“Somebody’s Daughter” by Ashley C. Ford.

What made you want to pick up this book in the first place?

Memoirs are my favorite genre of books to read, and this book was recommended by several authors I enjoy, like John Green, Roxane Gay and Brené Brown. I also wanted to read it because the author is a Hoosier native.

Once you got into the book, what made you want to keep reading it?

As Ashley tells her story, she made me feel the conflicts she felt between her family and her own identity. The prose was enthralling, but I kept reading because I was rooting for Ashley.

Once you finished the book, what did you like about it?

I love a good coming-of-age story, and Ford writes one with wit and vulnerability. The writer has such compassion for the other characters in her story despite her complicated emotions. Ashley’s hope and resilience made her a heroine worth rooting for.

What is the book about?

Ashley’s father was incarcerated throughout her formative years. When she is an adult, she receives a phone call that he is being released. The book is about her tumultuous childhood, her complex relationship with her mother and grandmother and her journey to self-discovery.

Why would you recommend this book to others?

The book is moving and deeply affected me personally. I think stories about other people’s experiences are so important, and every reader may find a bit of their own history in Ashley’s book. “Somebody’s Daughter” by Ashley C. Ford is available at the Jackson County Public Library and digitally through Libby or Overdrive. The audiobook version narrated by the author also is available on Libby or Overdrive.