The Girl Who Couldn't Say No: Memoir of a teenage mom [Kindle Edition]

Tracy Engelbrecht (Author)

Book Description

A sharp, occasionally shocking, memoir that will change how you look at teenage mothers, The Girl Who Couldn’t Say No is told with frank South African humour and refreshingly mature insight. Tracy Engelbrecht tells the story of how she came to find herself pregnant at 15, and how she coped with pregnancy, birth and homework.
An eye-opener for teens and their parents alike, as well as a message of hope, empathy and respect for those who have experienced a teenage pregnancy.

No M-TV teen moms, no sugar-coating, no horror stories - just honesty, humility, humour and love. Real life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Naturally funny and candid style of writing keeps the reader engaged as she comes into her own as a parent. She is honest and humorous as she admits the mistakes she made, but also confident in her role as a mother, first and above all

--women24.com

With wit and humility, Engelbrecht shares her mistakes and triumphs, regrets and pleasures. She doesn't presume to be an agony aunt or a psychologist - just another girl, not so different from everyone else. --Cape Times, South Africa

It's not a cautionary tale of a Good Girl Gone Bad or even of a Bad Girl Made Good... It's just a little story of changes and adjustment, of love and destiny". This  is a refreshing look at motherhood free from the usual cheese and cliché.

About the Author

Tracy Engelbrecht is a writer and mother of two. She lives in Cape Town and doesn't grow freakishly large prizewinning vegetables, but she does do a nice lasagne and her children aren't in therapy yet, so things are going well. She hardly ever drinks pina coladas or gets caught in the rain, but she's working on it. That's the official story. The truth is, of course, much less exciting. I was once The Girl Who Couldn't Say No, but these days I'm mom and eternal tea-maker to a teenage son, and mommy and copious cuddler of a tween daughter - both unique specimens of delicious humanity, way cooler than you'd expect with me as a mom. I'm also blogger, a columnist and a Tweeter-in-training. What else? Ah, yes. Thinker, reader, pudding-fantasist, champion-napper and above all, a sensible girl. 

Hopelessly inelegant and perfectly inappropriate for every occasion, I wear my awkwardness like a badge of honour. I have to. It's the only jewellery I own not made from macaroni. I've given up on the pina colada thing (see above). It was never me anyway; I'm much more a creme soda float girl. Wif sprinkles.

Product Details

• File Size: 315 KB
• Print Length: 256 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0051AUIVU
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,870 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #19 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teens > Biography
  • #50 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Motherhood

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating, interesting, and very funny! October 17, 2011

By Dennis R. Sherman

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a guy. I'm not much interested in chick-lit, which I was afraid this was going to be. But the other reviews noted the humor, so as a free Kindle download, I thought I'd try it.

Oh, am I glad I did. The author paints a vivid picture of her life, and while she recognizes the serious importance of raising children, she doesn't take herself too seriously. I was reading on the train, and kept laughing out loud. By the time the 2 and a half hour ride was over, I'd almost finished the book, and persuaded three other people on the train to download for their Kindle or Kindle app. And I'm writing this review to encourage other guys to read it -- you're likely to learn something, and enjoy it along the way.

The edition could use some copy editing. Something odd has happened in formatting for the kindle, with erratic font size changes after words are underlined. After a while, you'll just shrug and read on.

I was a bit disturbed by the lack of any mention of legal intervention. Perhaps the laws in South Africa are different than in the United States. If a 14 year old turns up pregnant by an 18 year old in the US, he's likely to be going to jail for rape, regardless of whether the girl says she consented. This was apparently not an issue in South Africa.

These last two issues aside, I highly recommend this book!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous, Funny and Honest June 10, 2011

By Michelle

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been wanting to read this book for quite a while and I was not disappointed. I bought it late on Sunday afternoon and thought I would read a few pages every night. I took a sneak peek at the first two pages. I finished the book on Monday afternoon. I was hooked!! Tracy's honesty and humour makes this a fabulous read. Easy and keeps you hooked. Tracy's writing style is fabulously refreshing.

Her story is captivating and honest. It is her story and she tells it well. It gave me insight to her as well as other young moms. I know this is her story only but I am sure that there are other young moms out there that experience much of the same. This gives me, the average reader, so much insight and a new found respect for every young mother, whatever their journey.

I would highly recommend this book. It's a good story. It is very well written. It is thought provoking. It is fabulous!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Every bit a five star read. October 22, 2011

By POIA

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

What a great book! I was captivated from the start; and although I read other books while enjoying this one, it was not due to disinterest but was my way of making it last. This book is open and honest and LAUGH OUT LOUD funny, not to mention being an absolute joy to read. Well written with none of the glaring errors which can be soooo distracting, I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.

More About the Author

Tracy Engelbrecht is a writer and mother of two. She lives in Cape Town and doesn't grow freakishly large prizewinning vegetables, but she does do a nice lasagne and her children aren't in therapy yet, so things are going well. She hardly ever drinks pina coladas or gets caught in the rain, but she's working on it.

These days, besides mom-stuff and the day job, she runs a support group for young and teen moms in Cape Town, South Africa.

Read more about Young Mom Support at http://youngmomsupport.co.za