Catherine Ada Campbell's unusual childhood included summers with her parents in a travelling carnival, waving atop a parade float, and lavish birthday parties. Unlike many of her peers, Campbell knew she had never been abused. But at the age of 34, a chance phone call with her brother shattered everything she thought she knew about her family and her past: her memories were false. true. unfolds across Campbell's 45 years of therapy, medication, research, education and other modalities to uncover the truth of who she is. A memoir of resilience and hope.
Available on Amazon.com and in fine book stores everywhere.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: True is a powerfully written memoir of strength and resilience as Ada Campbell attempts to recover from complex trauma. She takes a deep dive into studying the nature of abuse and therapy, educating not only herself but the reader too, as she navigates her personal healing journey.
Prose: Catherine Ada Campbell's text is written in a simple and effective manner, enabling the reader to absorb potentially complex themes in a straightforward way. She expertly relates disturbing and traumatic events in a measured and articulate fashion which is at once devastating yet ultimately inspiring.
Originality: True is a bold and absorbing memoir that is enhanced by Campbell's focused and relatable writing style. True's strength lies not only in its striking retelling of traumatic events, but in its ability to explore and transmit educational ideas related to therapy in a dynamic and unpatronizing manner.
Character/Execution: Catherine Ada Campbell is a fearless and convincing narrator whose personal story is related in a raw, honest and refreshing fashion. Her experiences with therapy, medication and coping strategies are eye-opening, intriguing, and inspirational.
Blurb: An engrossing and deeply affecting memoir.
Date Submitted: October 11, 2024
In frank but inviting prose, Campbell shares how she muddled through life in a barely there state, her mind creating a reality that was false but much more pleasant than the truth. The material is pained and charged with feeling, of course, yet Campbell’s telling is illuminating, even inspiring, as she dares to explore her true memories and learn healthy coping devices. Campbell transparently highlights the lasting effects of trauma, with an informative emphasis on the ways that the brain actively seeks to protect and shield. Especially moving is Campbell’s account of piecing together hidden trauma and its lasting impact, from her abusive, alcoholic father to her sexually abusive paternal grandmother, to later obsessive compulsive behaviors and inflicting self-harm.
While she acknowledges that this is one woman’s story rather than a self-help guide, Campbell’s firsthand account and exploration of techniques for facing childhood trauma and mental illness will serve as an encouraging example for others. As Campbell learns more about herself, her co-dependency on others, and ways to heal, she shares a rawly honest account of the journey to achieving a healthy relationship with one’s self and the past.
Takeaway: A touching memoir about repressed memories, recovering, and healing.
Comparable Titles: Cupcake Brown's A Piece of Cake, Jennette McCurdy's I'm Glad My Mom Died.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
true. MOVING BEYOND COMPLEX TRAUMA by Catherine Ada Campbell is an important addition to literature about childhood trauma and recovery. A unique beauty of this memoir lies in the way the author has structured the narrative by embedding within scenes of abuse, explanations of how trauma affects the child’s brain; and then later, within descriptions of different modalities of therapy, she educates the reader about the science of memory and the process of healing.
Viewing her long, arduous process of healing as sacred, Catherine Ada Campbell’s fidelity to truth and healing glistens throughout this comprehensive memoir. I believe that many will learn from and be inspired by her work.
-Catherine McCall, author of Never Tell: The True Story of Overcoming a Terrifying Childhood and contributing writer for Psychology Today magazine.
True. is captivating and compelling from the start. Catherine Ada Campbell shares her personal story which is sad and tragic, and at the same time totally inspiring. It is beautifully written, and novel in how it is written. With vulnerability and bravery she offers a powerful understanding of the impact of trauma and the journey of finding her own truth.
Claudia Black, PhD.
Pioneer in the ACA field
Author of It Will Never Happen to Me, Unspoken Legacy, Deceived: Facing the Trauma of Sexual Betrayal
Written with a raw honesty that is not only frank, but also refreshing, Catherine Campbell shares her inspirational journey from childhood through parenthood and beyond. In her book, true., Catherine provides readers with an inside look at the ups and downs of living with chronic stress, anxiety, depression, a history of child abuse, substance abuse, complex trauma, and OCD – while trying to find love, acceptance, and purpose in a world filled with inconsistencies, lies, and inaccuracies. This deeply descriptive autobiography delves into the possible causes and long-term effects of unimaginable emotional, physical, and sexual pain – pain that can only be lived, not imagined.
What if you thought you knew everything about yourself only to wake up one day, and learn that you really don’t know yourself at all?
true. masterfully makes you question who you are and what you believe.
