Something Like Beautiful: One Single Mother's Story (Hardcover)

by Asha Bandele (Author)
Key Phrases: New York City, United States, Asha Bandele

Editorial Reviews

Review
Praise for THE PRISONER'S WIFE: "Haunting, intense, emotional... mesmerizing and disconcerting, offering insights into why caged birds sing." (Kirkus Reviews )

Praise for THE PRISONER'S WIFE: "asha bandele tells the story of a love that flourishes in the constricted space between freedom and captivity. This is a powerul and provocative book-- everyone should read it." (Angela Y. Davis )

Praise for THE PRISONER'S WIFE: "The Prisoner's Wife echoes Edwidge Danticat's Farming of the Bones in the urgency in which it reminds us of the possibility of love even amidst the ruins. This is a terrifying, heart-breaking and, ultimately, important book." (Junot Diaz )

"Once again asha bandele has a poignant story to share in Something Like Beautiful. It is the love that comes through that makes this such a compelling tale." (Nikki Giovanni, poet )

Praise for THE PRISONER'S WIFE: "[bandele's] writing soars with emotion. And the reader's emotions soar as well, not because of shared experience but because her highly polished and skillful writing makes one feel her pain and joy." (Booklist (starred review) )

"We should all be blessed with the intellect and insight bandele brings to motherhood-the struggles, the joys, the fears, and the hope. Indeed, this is a fine portrait of what it means to be a single mom-a mom, period-in America." (Denene Millner, Reality Check columnist, Parenting magazine )

Product Description
From the author of The Prisoner's Wife, a poetic, passionate, and powerful memoir about the hard realities of single motherhood

When Asha Bandele, a young poet, fell in love with a prisoner serving a twenty-to-life sentence and became pregnant with his daughter, she had reason to hope they would live together as a family. Rashid was a model prisoner, and expected to be paroled soon. But soon after Nisa was born, Asha's dreams were shattered. Rashid was denied parole, and told he'd be deported to his native Guyana once released. Asha became a statistic: a single, black mother in New York City.

On the outside, Asha kept it together. She had a great job at a high-profile magazine and a beautiful daughter whom she adored. But inside, she was falling apart. She began drinking and smoking and eventually stumbled into another relationship, one that opened new wounds. This lyrical, astonishingly honest memoir tells of her descent into depression when her life should have been filled with love and joy. Something Like Beautiful is not only Asha's story, but the story of thousands of women who struggle daily with little help and much against them, and who believe they have no right to acknowledge their pain. Ultimately, drawing inspiration from her daughter, Asha takes account of her life and envisions for herself what she believes is possible for all mothers who thought there was no way out--and then discovered there was.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Collins (January 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061710377
• ISBN-13: 978-0061710377
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #186,211 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Up Close and Personal with asha bandele, December 25, 2008

By	Yasmin Coleman (PENNSYLVANIA, USA) - See all my reviews

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asha bandele has given readers another wonderful book with Something Beautiful but be forewarned. Something Beautiful is a raw and up-close-and-personal look at bandele's life as the wife of a prisoner and a married yet `single mother.' She told her story very matter-of-factly, and with honestly that might make some flinch and others wonder `how could she be so open.' On the surface, she appeared to be very naïve and almost too casual regarding her affairs. Most of the time, the book while lyrically written, the storyline was very depressing. I kept looking for something to smile or laugh about but those moments were few and far in between. The highlight and joy of the book was asha's young daughter, although I felt as though bandele placed a heavy burden on her daughter. She lived for her daughter, which was fine, but at what point does living become controlling, suffocating and overbearing. Hopefully as her daughter matures, bandele will realize that in order for her daughter to blossom and mature into a beautiful, independent, spirited young lady she will need to be allowed to make her own mistakes.

Something Beautiful by asha bandele is a poignant and thought-provoking read that I recommend to those who enjoy memoirs and are fans of asha bandele.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Honest and Stunning!, December 1, 2008

By	Angelia Menchan "acvermen.blogspot.com" (Florida) - See all my reviews

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asha Bandele's, Something Like Beautiful is a recommended read for anyone interested in self-revealing memoirs. However, for women, single mothers, womens who have been abused and their daughters it is mandatory. Ms. Bandele, honestly and painfully reveals her love of a man in prison, the father of her child. She also reveals how a smart woman can stay in a not-smart and abusive relationship with a man who hurts her. Most importantly, she exposes to the world her maternal heart and how much she loves, adores and wants to protect her daughter, Nisa. This memoir had me captivated from the first pages. At times I understood, at other times I was incredulous but at all times I was mesmerized. Ms. Bandele has an amazing gift to get her story across.

I would have loved for her to have delved deeper into how she dealt with her depression, but at any rate, I love what she offered.

Angelia Vernon Menchan author,
SCHAE'S STORY: A Woman's Transformation

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Emergence from depression, written in a way that takes you along, December 6, 2008

By	Suzanne Amara (MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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It took me a bit of time to fall into this book, as it's written in, at times, a stream of thought way, with parts that are straight narrative and then parts that are thoughts and ideas and wishes, but in the long run, this format really works for this author. I felt how her circumstances took her into depression, and how she later came out of it. I did at times wish that I could hear the whole story of her life, as a one way tale, but I know that's not what this book was about. Perhaps her earlier books are, I will seek them out.

My favorite thing about this book was how it portrayed the joy of motherhood. I have read so many books where a parent seems to view their children as not central in their lives, although they would deny this like crazy. But Nisa is the center of asha's life (she writes her name in lower case). Nisa sounds like an amazing girl, one of those people born high energy and smart and engaged. Her part in helping her mother's depression, just by being herself, was something to read. It made me think as I often do about how children are born with personalities, that we might shape them some, but they are themselves from the start.

It's a sign of a good read that you want more. I want to know more about asha's life. If her other books don't answer my question, I hope she writes a full autobiography some day.