Layla has overcome a multitude of hardships. It is almost impossible to comprehend how much her life has changed over the years and how strong one woman can actually be when push comes to shove. From abuse endured at a tender age to failed relationships with men who repeatedly took advantage of both her and her family, Layla has seen and survived it all. As a young mother herself, Layla understands the importance of protecting her children and the impact their environment will have on their futures. It is at all costs that Layla looks onward and upward when life’s curveballs never cease coming her way.

Despite My Odds: A Memoir, by Denise Monique, is the true story of the author’s tumultuous upbringing, the difficult path that led her to true love, and her second shot at success. Monique’s life story is completely captivating. The descriptions of her childhood and her mother’s neglectful manner pulls at the reader’s heartstrings. The author’s life, unfortunately, is one with which many readers will relate. The amount of bravery it has taken for Monique to tell her story is immense, and her candor is, at times, chilling in its raw truth.

It is not often that I read a book cover-to-cover in a sitting, but Monique’s begs to be one of those books worthy of a one-and-done session. I immediately found myself lost in the tragedy that was her childhood and rooting for every one of her relationships to finally be the one that took her life in a positive direction. I was invested from the first page–completely. Her frustrations and losses became, if for a moment in time, mine. Monique has a way of making the reader feel as if they are lifelong friends. She writes in a way this open, honest, engaging, and, most of all, freeing. This is a gripping work of the author’s heart from beginning to end.

Despite My Odds: A Memoir is a must-read for anyone who has survived abuse and is looking for inspiration and the encouragement to keep looking forward. Monique’s willingness to examine her past and share it is a gift to readers everywhere. It is through stories like hers that we find purpose in our pain and real hope for healing. Though any reader stands to gain from Monique’s story, I highly recommend her book to social service workers and guidance counselors. There is a level of empathy that can be reached by absorbing Monique’s story they will find nowhere else. It is through the eyes of survivors we can find answers.

Pages: 95 | ASIN: B0854CZ6HH