Easy Street is the story of an affluent family and their relationship with a neurodiverse daughter and her mother. Maggie's husband meets the couple at a restaurant in Los Angeles and over the years the families develop a deep friendship-including a huge crush that Joanna develops on Jim. Joanna believes that Maggie has an easy life living on "Easy Street." After Sunni, Joanna's mother suffers a heart attack and dies while in a nursing home, Maggie and Jim try their best to help Joanna find a new life. But Maggie has dealt with mental illness since her early adult years, having spent time in a psychiatric hospital. Years later, Maggie still struggles with an illness that is more debilitating than anyone realizes.
Reading "Easy Street" was an insight into a relationship between the haves and the have nots and that life is not always what is shown to others.

An interesting memoir that really highlights how the most random of meetings can turn in to something that profoundly affects us for the rest of our lives. Highly recommend this book.

Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I want to go back and read Maggie's first book now! I enjoyed her writing style, her honesty, sharing her mental health status and her uncomfortableness at times. I was surprised to see her relationship with the mother/daughter duo her husband introduced her to off the street. We see Maggie's thought process and how it evolves and comes to respect and build relationships with them. Even when it was more than she expected, when she had to step up and help the mentally disabled 50 year old Joanna who was not always the nicest to her. We see her struggle with medications, therapists and finally being able to ask for her help from her husband and doctors. We see unlikely friendships build for better or for worse. I very much enjoyed this read because it shows that just because you live in a nice house doesn't mean you live on easy street.

I read another of Maggie Rowe's books, Sin Bravely, years ago and enjoyed it; when I saw she had another memoir coming out, I was excited to read a "sequel." While it turned out to not exactly be a continuation of that story, it certainly is an excellent expansion. I have also had a number of my own mental health issues be both exacerbated and explained by my relationships with other people, so I appreciate Rowe's candor and grace as she works through a similar situation here. An excellent book for those who would like to see how to care for others by caring for oneself.

Funny warm thought provoking Maggie Rowe seems to have it all a beautiful home a happy marriage to a successful man.When her husband befriends a mother and daughter with mental issues and eventually he brings them home to visit.The friendship the caring that the author gives to them while suffering with her own emotional issues makes for a compelling read.# netgalley #easystreet

This memoir involves an LA screenwriter and his wife with mental health challenges who befriend and ultimately caretake a mother and daughter who are nearly homeless and also suffer from mental health challenges.

Jim and Maggie live comfortably, and Maggie suffers from anxiety, intrusive and obsessive thoughts, searching everywhere for healing from her tormented mind. On the street one day, they meet a destitute mother and her adult daughter on the street; it becomes clear quickly that neither can take care of herself, and the daughter has personality disorders as well as autism.

The relationship spans many years. After the mother dies suddenly, the couple decides to assume responsibility for daughter Joanna. She is always hostile towards Maggie and flirtatious and seductive towards JIm. They open their home to her, try to take care of her psychiatric and legal needs, and pay rent on her small apartment. Although they draw the line at not allowing her to stay in their home, they seem to have no other boundaries regarding these women.

The book alternates between Maggie's struggles to alleviate her pain, and the couple's attempts to provide for Joanna and her mother. The writing is empathetic and astute. The entire story is troubling. It brings up issues of boundaries, inviting into one's life that which one is trying to overcome, and how much of others' pains you are willing to face with compassion versus trying to fix.

A fast paced book with a narrator who definitely needs redemption. But, for me, she’s just too unlikeable to actually be rooting for.