Official Review: Surviving Chaos by Harold Phifer
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Official Review: Surviving Chaos by Harold Phifer
Surviving Chaos, by Harold Phifer, follows the author's extraordinary life experiences. Growing up in a dysfunctional family with a sick mother and without a father, he was subjected to emotional and physical abuse. However, he never lost control of his life. From childhood through adulthood, he tried to hold his head up high amid poverty, abandonment, bullying, and racial discrimination.
Trying to get healed from the humiliation and pain he suffered due to his family of origin, marriage, and past jobs, Harold took a job as an international contractor in Afghanistan, where he survived an attack. Afterwards, he went to Thailand and started living in carefree way, "hiding from life." Fortunately, one day, at a beach bar, he encountered an older man, who coerced him into unveiling his life journey. After telling the stranger the story of his life, Harold felt a sense of relief and was stimulated to go back to his job in Afghanistan.
Surviving Chaos is light and gripping. It's jam-packed with intriguing events that happened during the author's childhood, teenagehood, and adult life. Narrating his stories back and forth, Harold tells about his adventures, school life, bullies, friends, neighborhood, and family, particularly his mother's schizophrenic episodes and constant rants. Though I felt for her, I loved reading the parts of the book involving her.
The book is hilarious and unputdownable. Containing 249 pages, it's a quick read. I commend the author for his ability to relate such a heartbreaking story in a funny way. According to him, he used humor to sustain himself throughout the story and his life because logic didn't apply. I like his straightforward and suspenseful writing style, which makes the book seem more like a novel than a memoir.
There's nothing I don't like about the book except that, at the beginning, I just couldn't accept certain things the author said he and his brothers did. For example, as a child, during a confrontation between his mother and a teacher, his 3-year-old younger brother "smirked back at him." Maybe, some 3-year-olds can do that. Anyway, it's the author's story, and he told it in an engrossing manner.
Finally, I rate Surviving Chaos 4 out of 4 stars. It doesn't deserve a lower rating since it's well written and amusing. Moreover, it was professionally edited; I noticed only a couple of typos. Though readers who don't enjoy non-fiction books may not want to read it, it'll be a worthwhile read for those who like life-changing memoirs.
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Surviving Chaos
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You have to face it and move forward, not give up. Howard used humor in his life so he could move on.
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