Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops: A Memoir by Allison Hong Merrill is a brutally honest, self-deprecating, and intimate account of the events in the narrator’s life. Allison is a young bride who is deceitfully abandoned by her husband of 16 months, Cameron Chastain. Without family members or friends to depend on for help, she is alone without much knowledge of the local language. Allison is a lonely mess, betrayed and cold. Will she be able to find peace or solace? Will she make it in the ruthless world?

Merrill writes with intensity and simplicity; you cannot remain untouched. She expresses her deepest pain in candid words. Her memoir is raw and ruthlessly sincere. As a little girl, she is unbroken even after multiple torments; she fights with an invincible spirit and has incredible internal strength. You cannot help but admire the lost, fragile but hopeful girl who is desperate to find love and acceptance.

This memoir is not a fairy tale or feel-good type, but I found it to still be empowering and ultimately uplifting. Due to her Toxic childhood and self-sabotaging behavior, Allison is not entirely flawless, as she points out, and she is not only abused by others but also by herself. While this is a memoir, I felt that Allison goes through a character arc, of the sort one would find in a contemporary coming of age story, but this one is much more emotional and vivid.

Another charming aspect of the book is the beautiful representation of Taiwanese culture and Chinese history. Extensive details of rituals and traditions feel exotic, and the patriotism feels relatable despite the lousy childhood. Facts are well placed and give historical and cultural depth to an otherwise character driven memoir. This book is a prime example of the quote by mark twain, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t.”

Spirituality overshadows most of the writing, with preachy discourse and moralism filling most of the space, and in these parts the author attempts to justify her beliefs in sections that feel like sermons. This was an awe-inspiring story that falls just shy of being a tell all type memoir, but is still riveting nonetheless.

Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops: A Memoir is an enthralling and thought-provoking memoir that showcases the trials and triumphs of a fiercely strong and charismatic women in the face of adversity. This book is a strong example that speaks to women’s empowerment. Following an extraordinary life journey, this memoir will provide a glimpse at one Asian-American’s life and will appeal to anyone looking for an emotionally charged and meaningful true story.

Pages: 256 | ASIN: B08QZGQQMG