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I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl
by
Kelle Groom (Goodreads Author)
At the age of fifteen, Kelle Groom found that alcohol allowed her to connect with people and explore intimacy in ways she’d never been able to experience before. She began drinking before class, often blacked out at bars, and fell into destructive relationships. At nineteen, already an out-of-control alcoholic, she was pregnant. Accepting the heartbreaking fact that she wa...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
June 7th 2011
by Free Press
(first published May 23rd 2011)
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The first thing that will strike the reader is the honesty and openness of the author, a rare find in books. The reader will be thrown into a chaotic world where the main character is not in control of her life, constantly rolling with the punches (metaphorically speaking). The reader will barely have time to process one event when another takes place. This author really knows how to allow a reader to probe inside her mind. Following the main character's life from horrible to bad to semi-better...more
I was disappointed in Groom's book. As a person in recovery, I was looking for something well written that would give me hope and inspiration. In the preface, or some review, there was praise for the way the book moved about in time from chapter to chapter. I have read books that do this artfully; this book seemed to just need editing. I was confused by the abrupt changes rather than intrigued.
I also found the poetic license taken in the prose writing a little distracting.
There is a section whe...more
I also found the poetic license taken in the prose writing a little distracting.
There is a section whe...more
Everyone has a story to tell. Kelle Groom goes beyond that. She tells a tragic story in painful increments of beautiful prose. The result is an amazing book by a very special woman.
At the very early age of 15, Kelle finds alcohol as a way to express her. She loses herself to it, not realizing it until it is too late. Already an alcoholic, she has a baby at the age of nineteen. Her family supports her, as her aunt adopts the infant. Adding more sorrow to Kelle’s painful life, the baby is diagnose...more
Where to begin? Perhaps with the title. It points not only to this memoir's dual settings of Florida and Massachusetts, but also to Groom's associative, imagistic, and lyrical style.
My thoughts:
In this memoir, style marries inextricably with substance. Groom brings us so close in to her psyche and to her thoughts, strung together from image to image, event to non-contiguous event, that we feel we almost are her, and intensely present within her for the unpredictable shift of emotions that we all...more
My thoughts:
In this memoir, style marries inextricably with substance. Groom brings us so close in to her psyche and to her thoughts, strung together from image to image, event to non-contiguous event, that we feel we almost are her, and intensely present within her for the unpredictable shift of emotions that we all...more
Kelle Groom's memoir is brave, painful, and cuts to the bone. At the age of nineteen, she gives birth to a son who she gives up for adoption. Her aunt and uncle adopt him, and sadly he ends up dying of leukemia at 14 months of age. She began drinking heavily as a teenager, and she writes about her alcoholism, depression, her recovery, and her mission to investigate the death of her son.
Kelle Groom is a poet and writes with such imagery that I almost felt like I was her while reading this book. S...more
Kelle Groom is a poet and writes with such imagery that I almost felt like I was her while reading this book. S...more
Jun 10, 2011
Laura
added it
Kelle Groom's memoir tells more than one story. It tells the story of her struggle with alcoholism that begins when she is in her early adolescence. It tells the story of giving away her child, and then losing him again, this time for good. And finally, it tells the story of a town and the past that might be making its people sick.
Kelle Groom is a poet and that fact is obvious in her prose. Her language is abstract and often strange, its poetics making this a different sort of read than the typi...more
Kelle Groom is a poet and that fact is obvious in her prose. Her language is abstract and often strange, its poetics making this a different sort of read than the typi...more
What a devastating and miraculous story that Kelle Groom recounts about her history as an alcoholic through short essays that reflect her poetic background. The book goes into detail about why she drank and how she needed to drink to feel that she was alive and connect with people. Other drugs didn't work for her the way alcohol did. She further spirals downward after she becomes pregnant at nineteen, gives the baby up for adoption to her aunt and then the child dies from leukemia. Through all o...more
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Anyone who has dealt with the battles of substance abuse will identify with Kelle Groom's journey for sobriety in her memoir, I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of A Girl (Free Press, 2011).
At the age fifteen, Groom found that alcohol allowed her to connect with people and explore intimacy in ways she’d never been able to experience before. She began drinking before class, often blacked out at bars, and fell into destructive relationships. Already an out-of-control alcoholic, she became pregnant at a...more
At the age fifteen, Groom found that alcohol allowed her to connect with people and explore intimacy in ways she’d never been able to experience before. She began drinking before class, often blacked out at bars, and fell into destructive relationships. Already an out-of-control alcoholic, she became pregnant at a...more
Forgive me but this will be my first review in a while. As always college sneaks up and pulls a blindfold over your eyes, and you are at the mercy of all nighters and large espresso double shots.
That aside, I truly did enjoy reading I wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl. This is a memoir among memoirs. The author Kelle Groom possesses an incredible relationship with words and manipulates and bends them tell our heart bleeds for her. She flows her life story through the english language, captur...more
That aside, I truly did enjoy reading I wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl. This is a memoir among memoirs. The author Kelle Groom possesses an incredible relationship with words and manipulates and bends them tell our heart bleeds for her. She flows her life story through the english language, captur...more
My heart broke for Kelle Groom throughout this entire book. Groom was only 19 when she got pregnant and not in the best situation. Her son is whisked away to be adopted by Groom's aunt and uncle. Kelle doesn't get to see him before he passes away from leukemia at less than 2 years old. How could that not be heartbreaking? Couple that loss with a debilitating addiction and you have a situation where many would fail but Groom rises. Her struggle to come to terms with the death of her son is painfu...more
This book is a memoir. It was written by a poet, and it's easy to see that in the writing. This was not an easy read by any means. The narrative flows from point in time to point in time with regularity. The book tells the story of an alcoholic, through her treatment and relapse(s). However, most the narrative involves the son she gave up for adoption to her aunt and uncle. Her son dies very young of leukemia, and her desire to reconnect with this missing part of her self directs her actions thr...more
I've been familiar with Kelle's poetry from her first two collections and have always loved her work. When we were both active in Florida's writing community, I heard Kelle read a poem about her son, which was heartbreaking, so when I heard she was writing this memoir, I couldn't wait to read it.
This is possibly the best memoir I've ever read. Absolutely breathtaking and emotionally raw. A must-read.
I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl is one of those books that has probably changed the way...more
This is possibly the best memoir I've ever read. Absolutely breathtaking and emotionally raw. A must-read.
I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl is one of those books that has probably changed the way...more
I love memoirs and this memoir was written by a poet. I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl was not a simple read. The tale surges from different time frames with reliability. The book tells the story of an alcoholic, through her treatment and relapse. However, most the narrative involves the son she gave up for adoption who son dies very young from leukemia and how this affects her alcoholism. Although I found the subject matter hard to read, the words themselves were stunning. It's easy to s...more
The first half of this book heartbreakingly describes the author's descent further into the spiral of alcoholism and her attempts to free herself from this gripping addiction. In the latter half of the book, Groom shifts her focus to learn more about her son, whom she gave birth to when she was 19 years old, whom died of leukemia at age one. In many ways, this book felt like two different stories: Groom's struggles with alcoholism and her quest to get answers to what happened in her son's short...more
yada yada yada. i drank, bad things happened to me. here is an example of how things "happen" to her, but she has no responsibility (while housesitting for a friend): "I accidentally spill purple grape juice on a couch cushion. The toaster catches fire, and two firemen come by." This reminds me of my son saying he "accidentally" broke something; but he was balancing it on his head and walking with his eyes closed. Very flat affect, nothing new or special here.
I've finished it now and have to adm...more
I've finished it now and have to adm...more
Kelle Groom reveals years of struggle and suffering in, "I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl." The raw, and poignant memoir reveals her life as a teenage alcoholic and the long road to recovery that led her to a life as a poet and storyteller.
While reading the well-crafted prose, I could feel the emotions warring inside the writer. There were moments I felt physically uncomfortable and some where I hurt. It made the more positive moments feel all the greater.
Through her words, Groom shows th...more
While reading the well-crafted prose, I could feel the emotions warring inside the writer. There were moments I felt physically uncomfortable and some where I hurt. It made the more positive moments feel all the greater.
Through her words, Groom shows th...more
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I listened to this book, so I feel like my point of view might be different from that of someone who read it. I liked the style of writing the author had, short statement like sentences that mimicked a person's train of thought. As far as the content and story line... not to sound like I am demeaning the troublesome life of the author, but this book starts out so sad, I was happy I didn't commit suicide in the first half. The next part of the story line was pretty slow that I debated even finish...more
The prose style is way too distracting for the subject matter. I can appreciate that the author probably chose to write her memoir in this particular form to evoke a sense of confusion to the reader (as she experienced herself as an alcoholic, blacking out frequently). However, to do so really took away from how she survived and overcame her addiction and other tragedies she endured. This book was not for me.
I loved this book. I think Kelle is an extremely talented writer. Mostly known for her poems, this book carries you to that painful place where her writings come from. Honest, raw, sometimes hard to read, it's so real that you feel her transformation throughout the pages. The loss of her son, the years of "not-knowing" about his life are uncovered as she searches to find out what his short life was like. It's a book about growing up, family, loss, and recovery. Beautifully done.
An incredibly brave memoir. Touches on both the stigma of being a woman alcoholic as well as the troublesome issues women alcoholics must go though during their journey toward sobriety. Groom is an Alcoholics Anonymous advocate, but she writes about it in such a way that will not repel readers who do not share her feelings for AA.
Fans of Caroline Knapp's Drinking: A Love Story will enjoy this book.
Fans of Caroline Knapp's Drinking: A Love Story will enjoy this book.
I know Kelle can write, she is a very good poet, but I didn't get this book. Too fragmented, and some paragraphs seemed to come out of left field.
While I respect that this is about her life and that it is honest and, therefore, often raw, I found it arduous to read about such pain, such abuse of self, which, of course, allowed others to abuse her.
I couldn't read past the first few chapters.
While I respect that this is about her life and that it is honest and, therefore, often raw, I found it arduous to read about such pain, such abuse of self, which, of course, allowed others to abuse her.
I couldn't read past the first few chapters.
I really did want to like this. I picked it up due to the beautiful cover and captivating title--I read the first few chapters in-store and my interest was piqued.
However, I was just not into this. I read a couple of the reviews and one mentioned the choppy nature of the narrative. I think that was just my problem; it was very difficult for me to get a grasp on the space and time of any particular chapter. It was difficult to sort out what happened when. Perhaps this was the writer's intention,...more
However, I was just not into this. I read a couple of the reviews and one mentioned the choppy nature of the narrative. I think that was just my problem; it was very difficult for me to get a grasp on the space and time of any particular chapter. It was difficult to sort out what happened when. Perhaps this was the writer's intention,...more
hauntingly beautiful. Kelle Groom is a poet and it shows in this memoir. Her story is so riddled with heartbreak and the ending is... almost unbearable. But she writes with so much vulnerablity that it is impossible to finish this book without feeling an incredible amount of love for this woman who has put herself out there for all to see, even her darkness.
I gave this memoir a three because it was an ok book it wasn't my favorite book. The book had it's really good parts where I didn't want to put the book down because I wanted to find out what happened.Then it had its parts that I didn't want to read. What I didnt like about the book was that she jumped around a lot and that got me a little confused.
I love memoirs by writers, especially poets. I was longing for more discussion of the role of poetry in her life, but there was almost none. I guess that wasn't the book she wanted to write, but I couldn't help wondering what role poetry played in her sobriety and the resolution of her grief for the baby she gave away and who died not long after.
This book really touched my heart in a way that I didn't see coming. I found myself glued to the pages and hurting with Kelle. I am adopted and I know the joy my parents received in the gift of adoption, I couldn't imagine the pain of loosing me. Watching Kelle accept herself and become who she is now is quite the journey. If you know someone who is struggling with addiction I would highly recommend this book for them. I highly recommend this book anyway! I know it will touch your heart as it di...more
A heartfelt, unflinchingly honest account of addiction, maternal love, and redemption from poet and memoirist Kelle Groom.
Listen to I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.
Listen to I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.
What a story!
I know what it's like to be away from my child, not willingly, and it hurts. But mine came home. Kelle's didn't. I can't fathom the pain and sacrifice she endured.
The things she experienced were heart breaking, but you come to realize only the strong really do survive, and she is among them. And the loss of her child is only one thing in a sea of many.
A fantastic, emotional story, also a story that needs to be heard.
3.5/5
I know what it's like to be away from my child, not willingly, and it hurts. But mine came home. Kelle's didn't. I can't fathom the pain and sacrifice she endured.
The things she experienced were heart breaking, but you come to realize only the strong really do survive, and she is among them. And the loss of her child is only one thing in a sea of many.
A fantastic, emotional story, also a story that needs to be heard.
3.5/5
The book wasn't too bad. It was very graphic and open. Groom wrote with complete honesty which you don't normally see in memoirs. I thought the book was kind of confusing with the way she told the story. It skipped around alot and didn't really give us time to understand what happened.
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Kelle Groom is a poet and memoirist. Her memoir, "I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl," is forthcoming from The Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster in June 2011. She is the author of three poetry collections: "Five Kingdoms" (Anhinga Press, 2010); "Luckily" (Anhinga, 2006); and "Underwater City" (University Press of Florida, 2004). Her work has appeared in Best American Poetry 2010,...more
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“My mother drove me to Boston and bought me a beautiful blue dress that touched the floor, spilling out in waves; I wore the ocean in the shape of a girl.”
—
3 people liked it
“I'd been so lonely for touch that I'd run for miles at night with shin splints just to move through air. His arms, even in memory, were like a coat I could wear.”
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3 people liked it
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