Official Review: What's Wrong With Wende?

[Maria Esposito]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "What's Wrong With Wende?" by Windell Yvette Beaird.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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What’s Wrong With Wende? by Windell Yvette Beaird is a memoir that recounts the story of the author’s life. Affectionately nicknamed Wende by her loved ones, the author has been through a lot. Since she was a little girl, life did not show her much kindness. Wende’s childhood was torn between her difficult situation at home and the good moments she shared with her family. Her mother’s illness forced her to be asleep most of the time, so that Wende had to tend to her younger brother and the household needs from a very young age. When she was eleven years old, she was sexually assaulted by a man who was close to her family. Unfortunately, this is not the only time Wende would be assaulted.

Wende got in trouble countless times during her teenage years, often to satisfy her wanderlust. Her misdeeds included purchasing a plane ticket to another state without her parents knowing, withdrawing her salary from the cash register at the 7-Eleven she was working, and stealing from her dad’s money bag to travel to Georgia and meet a guy who looked like Robert Redford, who would end up being her first husband. You would think that Wende was an evil teenager if you did not know that she would always end up telling on herself and feeling terrible about what she had done. Growing up, Wende battled failed marriages, loss of family members, addiction, domestic and sexual assault, and financial instability. Her faith in God and unwillingness to give up on herself was what encouraged her to carry on. She is now a hospice nurse.

What I liked most about the book was the author’s transparency and honesty in recounting the events, even the ones that did not make her look like a good person. On several occasions, I felt very frustrated with Wende’s behavior. One such occasion was when Wende got into a relationship with Jerry, a charming inmate in a Texas state prison. When Jerry asked her to help him smuggle drugs into the prison, she was hesitant at first, but she ended up doing it anyway, putting herself and her sons at risk. While I was feeling a mixture of condemnation, anger, and frustration toward Wende, I could not help but be grateful to her for sharing the darkest parts of her life with her readers so candidly. When readers manage to get past a layer of judgment and frustration toward Wende, they will hopefully see a woman who is well aware of the power that comes with sharing her story with no filters, and of the impact this could potentially have on others who might be struggling with similar issues.

One aspect of the book I did not like is that, occasionally, people that have not been previously introduced make an appearance in the story. The author mentions quite a lot of people in her memoir, so seeing unfamiliar names definitely made me feel lost. Furthermore, the multitude of people in Wende’s life was slightly overwhelming to keep up with. More specifically, I had some difficulties navigating the beginning of the book, where the author introduces many members of her family. There were definitely more names than I could remember.

The author herself specified that the book has not been professionally edited. She opted against professional editing because she did not want an editor to interfere with what is her own story to tell. Although I found more than ten errors, these were not overly distracting. The book contains profanity and descriptions of sexual, physical, and substance abuse. I advise readers who might be triggered by these against picking up this book. Furthermore, the author profusely talks about her Christian faith throughout the book. While I think that this does not make the book unsuitable for readers with different religious beliefs, I discourage those with an aversion toward the Christian religion from picking up this memoir.

Because of the errors and the issues I had with keeping up with all the people included in the memoir, I rate What’s Wrong With Wende? by Windell Yvette Beaird 3 out of 4 stars. If you’re a person who is easily offended, I encourage you to steer away from this book. On the contrary, if you’re someone who seeks to learn from the experiences of others and is eager to open their minds and hearts to narratives that might be unfamiliar and shocking, this book might be just for you. The author’s point in narrating some of the most tragic and traumatic events of her life is to provide an example of resilience to people who have gone through similar things and might want to give up on themselves. If you resonate with Wende’s story, you will not regret reading her memoir.

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What's Wrong With Wende?
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[Laura Lee]

Thank you for an insightful, analytical review. Sounds like a rather sad, heart-breaking story.

[khaulah]

I understand why it is an important book for people who have been through similar experiences. But, I might not be able to handle the contents of the story. Thank you for your insightful review!

[Thea Frederick]

Wow, what an intense life!
I think I’ll pass on this one, not sure that I'm up for it. But thank you for the review!

[Mohammed_Sameer2]

It is a good review of the Windell Yvette Beaird's book espe, that you illustrate the deep sides of the main character, and her history. I confirm that these books are sill effective, because of their human side in the context of events transformations. Have a great day.

[Sanju Lali]

An interesting memoir of the author about her life since her childhood, which was filled with lot of hardship and how she sorted out the things to prevail. Thanks for your quite insightful review.

[Elvis Best]

I love how candid the author was in the book. It makes the book more real and personal. Thanks for an honest review.

[Tonika632]

Sounds like a heavy read. I feel sorry for the author. Great review!

[LinaJan]

Your heartfelt review and sincere feeling towards Wende was uplifting! I am unsure whether the book is for me though, especially when it comes to religious taint

Thank you for such a well-rounded review!

[Dee_Robert]

Sad beginning really and quite a rough ride Wendes had, it's amazing she chose to tell her story

Great Review.

[Alice Heritage]

One reason I don't really like memoirs is that they can get confusing when a lot of people are mentioned. Great review!

[Maria Esposito]

Thank you for an insightful, analytical review. Sounds like a rather sad, heart-breaking story.

It is in a way, but it is also extremely empowering and uplifting in others. Thank you for your kind comment!

I understand why it is an important book for people who have been through similar experiences. But, I might not be able to handle the contents of the story. Thank you for your insightful review!

Yes, the contents can be quite disturbing and triggering for some readers. Thank you so much for reading my review and leaving a comment!

Wow, what an intense life!
I think I’ll pass on this one, not sure that I'm up for it. But thank you for the review!

I can totally understand that. Thank you for your kind comment!

It is a good review of the Windell Yvette Beaird's book espe, that you illustrate the deep sides of the main character, and her history. I confirm that these books are sill effective, because of their human side in the context of events transformations. Have a great day.

Thank you so much for your comment, Mohammed. Have a great day!

An interesting memoir of the author about her life since her childhood, which was filled with lot of hardship and how she sorted out the things to prevail. Thanks for your quite insightful review.

Thank you for leaving a comment!

I love how candid the author was in the book. It makes the book more real and personal. Thanks for an honest review.

That's what I loved the most about the book, too. Thank you, Elvis!

Sounds like a heavy read. I feel sorry for the author. Great review!

It is heavy in some ways, but also uplifting in others. Thank you, Tonika!

Your heartfelt review and sincere feeling towards Wende was uplifting! I am unsure whether the book is for me though, especially when it comes to religious taint

Thank you for such a well-rounded review!

The religious element is quite pervasive throughout the book, so I don't recommend that to someone who is not religious. Thank you so much for your kind comment!

Sad beginning really and quite a rough ride Wendes had, it's amazing she chose to tell her story

Great Review.

Yes, I am grateful that she decided to be open about her journey. Thank you for leaving a comment!

One reason I don't really like memoirs is that they can get confusing when a lot of people are mentioned. Great review!

Yes, I love memoirs but I definitely wish that the author had done a stricter selection for the people she decided to include in it. Thank you for leaving a comment!

[Priyanka2304]

Glad to know that the author has left the book the way it is without any editor's intervention. Memoirs are always appealing and this one seems special.