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Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far Hardcover – Illustrated, June 21, 2011

4.6 out of 5 stars 216

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When her mother, Sarah Palin, became the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate in 2008, Bristol Palin was instantly propelled into the national spotlight, becoming the focus of intense public and national media scrutiny at the age of seventeen. In Not Afraid of Life , she shares with readers for the first time ever personal moments from her life—from her Alaskan roots to her pregnancy and single motherhood to her star turn on TV’s enormously popular Dancing with the Stars . This candid memoir is a heartfelt true story of a woman who is centered by her strong Christian faith and is Not Afraid of Life .

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Product Description
The oldest daughter of Sarah Palin and single mother goes beyond the headlines, offering readers an inside look at her life, her world, and the things that matter most, including her family and the faith that keeps her centered. When her mother became the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate in 2008, Bristol Palin was instantly propelled into the national spotlight, becoming the focus of intense public and national media scrutiny at the age of seventeen.

In Not Afraid of Life, Bristol gives readers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at her life for the first time, from growing up in Alaska to coming of age amid the media and political frenzy surrounding her mother’s political rise; from becoming a single mother while still a teenager to coping as her relationship with her baby’s father crumbled publicly—not once, but twice. Bristol talks about the highs and lows of her appearance on ABC-TV’s Dancing with the Stars, including the aching hours of practice, the biting criticisms, and the thrill of getting to the show’s finals. She speaks candidly of her aspirations for the future and the deep religious faith that gives her strength and inspiration. Plainspoken and disarmingly down to earth, Bristol offers new insight and understanding of who she is and what she values most.

A Look Inside Not Afraid of Life
Click on the images below to open larger versions.

I fished in the Mat-Su Borough from a young age. Here I am on a fishing trip with my grandfather at Willow Creek. After an interview near the Statue of Liberty I was the only student to accept a diploma while wearing baby puke on my dress. Piper is dressed up in my graduation gown while I hold Tripp and McKinley looks on. One of the most challenging parts of competing on Dancing with the Stars was not being able to hang out with Tripp as much as I wanted to! His on-set visits energized me. Our home overlooks Lake Lucille, which freezes completely solid during the winter. Tripp is learning how to ice-skate on this cold day. Maybe one day he’ll follow in my brother Track’s steps and become a great hockey player!

Review

“She writes convincingly, and humbly, of how she was able to move beyond her feelings of shame and Hester Prynne-like social ostracism.” — Washington Post

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow; Illustrated edition (June 21, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062089374
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062089373
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.02 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.93 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 216

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
216 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2011
It absolutely sickens me that there are 28+ one-star reviews on a book. Of the 36 reviews as of this writing, only 3 purchased the book on Amazon. As a Mom and a human being, I feel compelled to take those 28 out for some clubbing, halibut style. Honestly, I don't know how the Palin's remain so graceful in the face of such outright, naked, hate filled negativity. Ann Coulter pegged the haters in her current book, Demonic. The Palin Family (and the Heath's) are to be commended for their strength of character!

Bristol Palin is 20 years old. Bristol Palin is a single mother. I really thought the left and the book appreciating Amazon set embraced youth and non-traditional pathways in life. Whoops! I guess all that peace and love stuff is cover for jealousy and hate...and I hope you one day realize that the perverse joy you take in ripping Bristol is actually the Devil (yeah, THAT Devil) reaching up through body and getting you to write from a blind position.

Well, unlike most of you, I actually read Bristol's book - ebeginning to e-end. I found it to be a touchingly human story of a young woman's first two decades of life, the last three years of which have been played out on the national stage. At no time did I forget I was reading a book written from the standpoint of a 20 year old, and this memoir is on par with other books completed with the help of a co-author. It's not fine literature, but it is compelling read for those who like timely memiors. At points, the Mom in me was screaming "confide in your mother and father" and "stay away from that toxic Johnston Family"! Young people often have to find things out the hard way. And while most lessons are learned in private, some (like sex outside of marriage) have very public outcomes and life altering results. Bristol is an average young woman in a not so average situation. She discusses her decisions, her failings, her attempts to make things right, and those that seemingly worked against her due to misunderstanding or envy. She ultimately takes charge of her life and her future by finding ways to earn money (DWTS, appearances, this book) so that she and her son can live independently and in comfort. Quite simply, she has done more than most young mothers her age, including purchasing a home with her take home pay from DWTS. Any attempts to paint her as stupid or dumb are utterly false; she, like her parents, has the innate ability to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. She is rapidly developing the same Teflon that Sarah seems to enjoy.

Now, there are some truisms that Bristol and other young women in her position should realize. If you come from a large, loving, CONSERVATIVE family, you should talk things out with your parents, older siblings, and / or older relatives. In most instances, your family will help you navigate the difficult road ahead. If you and/or they are true conservatives, you will choose life...and either keep your child or give your child up for adoption. Too often, misguided parents will drag their daughters to places that will eliminate the newest family member...how they fail to recognize a grandchild is beyond me. The scars from abortion last a lifetime; ask anyone who bravely stands outside places that do abortions. Many of those people know first hand, and all of them know someone who has had one and now deeply regrets that decision. Bristol is fortunate to have a fantastic family and a vast network of support; would that all young women have this. (Support is out there if you lack it in your family; reach out to groups that are pro-life.)

When it comes to who should read this book, I would recommend teenagers who are exhibiting a penchant for Mr. / Ms. Wrong. Levi was a Mr. Wrong even back in middle school, and young women should learn to recognize the signs of a cad...especially young women with potential, like the straight A student Bristol Palin. And, young adults should also learn to recognize the signs of an unstable family and how they, even with the biggest of hearts, can't undo the damage in damaged goods. I honestly fear for Bristol and Tripp; Levi's older sibling reminds me of a bully who once terrorized me. Here's a hint: if you have a choice, stay away from people with relatives that threaten you. I would also recommend this book for parents. Being a parent of a pregnant daughter, or a son who is now a future father, is tough. You have to have strength and wisdom to act as a mentor, not as a judgmental parent clinging to the dream you expected. You, like the Palin's, have to consider the world your grandchild is coming into...how will the child be supported, is the other parent mature enough to be a parent, do you want your child to be with the other parent, how can we keep our child on an academic track, and how do we announce and protect our family from society that suddenly feels the need to insert themselves into the equation. I'm sure Sarah and Todd wish they had taken more control of the situation given all the heartache Levi and his family have caused. And sadly, a strong recommend for those of you who obsess over the Palin's; you can always tuck a copy in with those 24,000 emails.

All in all, a good book, a quick read, a reminder of why we benefit from our respective religious faiths once we ask for help, and a cautionary tale with a tearjerker of an ending. Bristol, pay no heed to the one star reviews...there are many of us out here that consider you and your family part of our extended national family, and we will be posting better reviews. May God continue to bless you and your family.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2011
Note: Numerous people posted negative reviews on Bristol Palin's book before it was even published. How is it possible to review something that does not yet exist. Apparently, these reviewers found a way to. It's a standard Alinsky tactic used against all things Palin. That said, following is my review on the book, which in the interest of full disclosure, I also sell on my Amazon Affiliate Store, The North Star Group:

Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far discusses in detail the painful lessons Bristol Palin learned, and gives an intimate glimpse into the dynamics of the Palin family from the eyes of their eldest daughter.

Bristol, 20, wrote the book with the help of Nancy French. Not Afraid of Life was released June 21, 2011. The memoir covers Bristol's latter teen years, beginning with her relationship with Levi Johnston, moving forward through Governor Palin's gubernatorial and vice presidential campaigns all the way through the early part of 2011. Readers are transported into Bristol's life as a high school student, barista, an assistant in a dermatologist's office, contestant on Dancing with the Stars, and teen advocate.

Bristol provides many intimate details of her life, which some readers may find uncomfortable, but which are key to some of the lessons learned.

Not Afraid of Life was an emotional roller coaster ride as readers are taken to the depths of Bristol's heartbreaks and the heights of her achievements. Bristol has her mother's sarcastic sense of humor that will leave readers laughing throughout the book, even through some of the painful moments. Not Afraid of Life is 256 pages of nice, easy reading. I found it difficult to put down. Like Going Rogue, Not Afraid of Life includes a photo spread of family shots several pages long halfway through the book.
Lessons Learned

The point of Not Afraid of Life was to provide young readers with the hard lessons learned from Bristol's experience so that they do not repeat her mistakes. Among them:

* You start on the road to perdition when you're somewhere you're not supposed to be and have to lie about where you are.
* Getting yourself inebriated to the point of losing control of your faculties is never a good idea. Luckily for Bristol,
she walked away from that experience "only" with having her virginity stolen. Many others lost their very lives under
similar circumstances.
* Having sex with a chronic philanderer will not stop the philanderer from cheating on you.
* Having sex to hold on to someone never works.
* Birth control pills don't work when they're used incorrectly and doses are skipped or forgotten about. Contraception is
not 100% guaranteed. It is subject to mechanical and human error.
* A baby will not change an irresponsible man into a responsible one.
* Staying in a bad relationship, hoping your partner will change is a vicious cycle. It took Bristol several iterations
till she broke the cycle. Many people never change it and live their entire lives in abject misery.
* The combination of Bristol's strong work ethic and a supportive family who unconditionally loves her was her salvation.

Achievements

Readers of Not Afraid of Life also see what Bristol did right. Though she was fairly well-off, she went to work to secure her future and independence. She graduated high school with a 3.497 average while being a new single mother and working. When Bristol came into money, she invested it in real estate and a college fund for Tripp. Bristol went on a humanitarian mission to Haiti with Gov. Palin and learned even more lessons to help keep her grounded. Rather than let a mistake or even a series of mistakes ruin her life, Bristol recovered from them. Her strong work ethic, maternal instinct and strong sense of responsibility guided her back to the right path.
Her Toughest Teacher...

Bristol learned that her hardest, meanest teacher was neither in any classroom, nor in her home.

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards."

-Vernon Sanders Law

Palin Family Dynamics: An Intimate Look

Readers get to see the sibling rivalries, and the interactions among the large extended family spanning multiple generations. We see the lives of Sarah and Todd Palin through the eyes of their eldest daughter from the perspective of a teenager and young adult. Bristol's vivid descriptions of events and incidents put the reader right in the action. For this reason alone, Not Afraid of Life is a must-read and and a must-have for the library of any Palin supporter.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2011
I remember watching her mom's nomination acceptance speech on TV, noticing that pretty young lady behind her, and thinking "That girl's going to achieve great things in her life." There have been a lot of roadblocks in Bristol's path since then, but she has learned from every one of them; and the love of family and faith in God have carried her through. She and her family have withstood extreme and undeserved adversity (much of which was caused by the press in their efforts to manipulate our thoughts), advertisity that would have left most of us emotionally paralyzed. Palins have a strength that is rare these days, and I so admire that. This is a refreshingly candid book, and I hope it achieves its goal of inspiring teens to have enough self respect and common sense to save sex for marriage. For a while, I was very impatient with Bristol's story. Like yelling at the TV set, I kept asking the book, "Why on earth would you keep going back to that jerk (Levi)? You and Tripp deserve so much better." The lesson has been learned, though, and it appears that Bristol is now on the right track. I love the way she ended the book. There's much hope for the future, and I wish them the best.
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Top reviews from other countries

Galynne Millard
4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Story
Reviewed in Canada on May 20, 2014
True to life, nothing sugar-coated. It would be extremely hard dealing with all the media attention when your mother is Sarah Palin