Stray

A Memoir

By: Stephanie Danler

Narrated by: Alex McKenna

From the bestselling author of Sweetbitter, a memoir of growing up in a family shattered by lies and addiction, and of one woman's attempts to find a life beyond the limits of her past. Stray is a moving, sometimes devastating, brilliantly written and ultimately inspiring exploration of the landscapes of damage and survival.

After selling her first novel--a dream she'd worked long and hard for--Stephanie Danler knew she should be happy. Instead, she found herself driven to face the difficult past she'd left behind a decade ago: a mother disabled by years of alcoholism, further handicapped by a tragic brain aneurysm; a father who abandoned the family when she was three, now a meth addict in and out of recovery. After years in New York City she's pulled home to Southern California by forces she doesn't totally understand, haunted by questions of legacy and trauma. Here, she works toward answers, uncovering hard truths about her parents and herself as she explores whether it's possible to change the course of her history.

Lucid and honest, heart-breaking and full of hope, Stray is an examination of what we inherit and what we don't have to, of what we have to face in ourselves to move forward, and what it's like to let go of one's parents in order to find peace--and a family--of one's own.

Fascinating Story of a Complicated Childhood

Stray is so honest and freshly told that it feels unique among the countless stories of complicated and hurtful childhoods. What made the story bearable was how Stephanie Danler's powerful personality shone through the neglect and abuses of her parents.

The dance of the author and her father’s severed relationship is one I have also had to navigate.

Any book about family dynamics pulls me in, but Stray stopped me in my tracks. The dance of the author and her father’s severed relationship is one I have also had to navigate. @smdanler did it beautifully. This book is imperfectly perfect. A must read.

Powerful

Absolutely relatable and masterly written.

Most arthurs fall short of fully capturing the importance of humanizing the person dealing with the life long effects of generational dysfunction.

Awhile still emphasizing on the importance of the individuals responsibly of self evaluation and the experience they have contribute to themselves, while on their journey of self discovery.

Unsure

Overall very dark, sad and depressing story with just a little bit of light at the end. I didn’t dislike the writing style but I couldn’t really empathise nor find common ground with any of the characters.

Hard story to listen to but I couldn't stop

Thank you Stephanie for sharing your life with us. I love the way you write and your choice of words. You effectively weave the reader into the threads of your life and we can feel the difficulty and hurt you've lived. A therapeutic journey that tugged at my heart. I wanted to reach out and give you a virtual bear hug. I also loved Alex McKenna's voice. Great narrator!