Hope Was Somehow Visible

Posted on February 19th, 2008 by SusieJ

sky.jpgFelicia C. Sullivan’s book, The Sky Isn’t Visible from Here: Scenes from a Life was tough to read. In her true-account of her abused childhood, Mommy Dearest begins to look like a walk in the park. Child abuse is such a painful subject on its own, and I couldn’t read The Sky Isn’t Visible from Here: Scenes from a Life at night, before I went to sleep. However, by the end of the book, the story began to reveal its true strength: this was a story about hope.

Felicia Sullivan was raised by a drug-addicted Mother, who lies, steals, cheats to get her highs. Felicia is stuck in the middle, unable to be a child, calling the taxi for her mother on the nights when she has overdosed… again. The taxi dispatcher, pathetically, knows Felicia’s voice, as she has called so many times for the same thing. She was 9 at this time.

This memoir sits right dab in the middle of so many true-life stories sitting on bookshelves today. However, this one is different. As a child, she knew she didn’t want to end up like her mother, and did come to the point where she did sever all ties with her, yet she still found herself in the same shoes her mother wore. Despite her past, and despite her own addictions, she achieved success: A graduate of the Columbia University MFA program, a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, and the recipient of the 2005 Tin House memoir fellowship, among other things.

All the while, she fooled her friends at Columbia. No one knew. No one knew her past, and no one knew she was doing cocaine in their bathrooms. Her journey as she led this dual life to making herself whole again is fascinating.

I could faint and no one would catch me. The fall would be bottomless, never-ending and my mother will always be there, pushing me further down.

I wonder after reading so many passages like this, where Felicia found the will to go on?

As I made it through the story, I saw that Felicia’s gift was to reveal how strength, power, love and hope can be found in the darkest places. Her life is a testament to these truths. This review was done with The Parent Bloggers Network.

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3 Comments

  1. A Sense of Home | Susiej ~ Feb 19, 2008 at 8:30 pm

    [...] my review blog today, I’m reviewing Felicia Sullivan’s book, The Sky Isn’t Visible from Here: Scenes [...]

  2. Felicia ~ Feb 20, 2008 at 3:17 am

    Susie,
    Thank you so much for reviewing Sky. I definitely realize it’s a difficult read, but ultimately, I hope, an inspiring one. :) Thank you for your kind words and your lovely review.
    Cheers, Felicia

  3. The Parent Bloggers Network » The Sky Isn’t Visible From Here: A Book That Just Might Change Your Life ~ Feb 28, 2008 at 6:07 am

    [...] story was heartbreaking, the bloggers saw the fantastic light at the end of the tunnel. “As I made it through the story, I saw that Felicia’s gift was to reveal how strength, power, love … ”The fact that she wrote this memoir - a book as raw and choppy as she must have felt inside [...]

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