Before Her: The One, Book 1
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(as of Nov 19, 2024 21:34:41 UTC – Details)
In this eloquent memoir, the National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming traces the relationships in her past that would eventually deliver her to the love of a lifetime.
Before Jacqueline Woodson met Juliet, before her own self-realization, there were decades of friends, lovers, and family who defined the woman she’d become. In this haunting story of memory and identity, Jacqueline shares the profound impact they had on bending the path of her life; how they informed the dreams of her future; and how each one – some lost, all loved – would bring her to Juliet, her one and only.
Jacqueline Woodson’s Before Her is part of The One, a collection of seven singularly true love stories of friendship, companionship, marriage, and moving on. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single sitting, with or without company.
Customers say
Customers find the writing quality perfectly well-written, beautiful, and superb. They describe the story as interesting, light, and honest. Readers also say the book is a good read that brings joy and refreshes them.
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9 reviews for Before Her: The One, Book 1
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Angieleigh –
No!!! I need to know more!!
I am so glad that, as usual, I went into this without knowing anything more than it was an LGBTQ book. I love being surprised by what lays between covers.Woodson’s writing is beautiful and sucks you right in. You want to grab a blanket to wrap around yourself, pull a sleepy kitten into your lap, and listen to her tell you how each moment of her life led her to her Juliet. You want to know if she and Toshi are still the best of friends; to giggle as she tells of how her mother and grandmother tried to not talk about her love for women.This is so well written, and my only complaint is that I want, no NEED, to know more about her life with Juliet and the impact she has had on her.
Pete Springer –
Coming of Age Reflections
Having read several of author Jacqueline Woodson’s outstanding novels, I didn’t know what to think when I first came across this short book. It is the first in a series of seven. It took only fifteen minutes to read. While the writing was excellent, I wasn’t crazy about the non-linear structure. The reflections began after Woodson’s grandmother has passed, then detailed her coming of age as a lesbian black writer. It is Woodson’s story of how she came to find herself as a person and what she wants out of life. She shares memories of women she crossed paths with before she eventually found her true love, Juliet. It was if we were riding on the train with her on the way back home following her grandmother’s passing as she jumped from memory to memory of other women, many of them girlfriends who came before Juliet.
Mindo’ermatter –
A Longway Journey to Finding Someone to Love
I appreciate Amazon’s collections of short stories by high-quality writers, and this 7-installment, memoir series, “The One,” is a highly diverse smorgasbord that develops the central theme, sometimesunexpectedly.This first of “The One” collection focuses on the author’s pre-relationship life, which she wisely describes as the people and experiences that led, shaped, directed, and guided her to escape from the clutter and chaos of many short friendships and relationships to become the person she eventually became, now able of finding and recognizing the person that she finally wanted.The tile of this work, “Before Her,” might be descriptively correct, but it perhaps misses the “other one,” the central person in this story, the author herself. Because the author’s focus only on herself, she describes her choosing, learning, experimenting, and discovering, all emphasizing her own needs and wants: her love of self over others, so easily used, discarded, forgotten. Not until she had changed who she was, set wiser priorities, and became more sensitive and aware of others was she truly able to find, identity, and create a fully loving, giving, and symbiotic relationship with another person. Finally, there was someone else more important than herself. Possibly, a more accurate title might be “The Exchange” because her central focus shifted from herself to someone else in a way that changed who she was and had become.Unfortunately, we know little about “The One” she found, and perhaps the author felt that was too personal to share or describe without betraying the relationship of trust or the sacredness she feels for her ultimate love. In some ways that might be evidence enough of the stronger, selfless bond she now feels and enjoys. However, her intentional omissions of “The One” in her life detracts from the reading experience for others. Hence, my rating of 3 Stars.I enjoyed hearing the author’s voice reading the story in Audible, something that helped me feel her emotions, intentions, desires on ways impossible from her written words alone.My greatest takeaway from this short 16-page read is that even our smallest choice in life can determine the course and outcome of our lives. I want to explore other works by this skillful writer.
Traci J. Mathena –
Moving and Insightful.
What a gorgeous look into learning about, growing into, and loving the life you have created. An extraordinary love letter.
Kindle Customer –
Entertaining relationship listening
This kindle novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book one of sevenA short story of love and relationship.I would recommend this series and various authors to readers looking for something different. 2024 ðð
AlliG –
Very scattered and rambling
The longest 13 pages I’ve read in a long time. Could have been a great coming of age story and instead was a real mess.
Tameekah Raberah –
Delightful!
That was surprising, refreshing and I wanted more. I always enjoy wanting more when a book ends, that’s one surefire way to let me known how invested I was. How invested I may still be. Good times.
Lethea J. Garrett –
Short and Eye Opening
The author wrote a short script where the main character narrates a story about her self; learning who she was, what she wanted, and the road traveled to get there.
Crimson Whispers VA –
Was interesting to read but I will not be continuing with the other books in this short series, was just not for me ð but the story for me was a little all over the place in sections . But anyone looking for a very short read give it ago