From the title, I expected this to be a book sort of related to the witches’ trials, and the women that were burned and killed due to their independence, strong-willed attitudes, lack of submission to the patriarchy, etc For anyone else thinking the same: IT’S NOT.

It’s a memoir. It’s heart wrenching, and leaves me in amazement at the author’s strength through so many devastating losses. This story gives us a glimpse into the hardships and devastation of loosing a mother young, the consequences of a father’s instability, the damages of fundamentalism in an already broken family, and the courage to rise up from those ashes. I feel inspired by her story to continue to fight to overcome my own family’s dysfunctions, and all that fundamentalism has stolen from my own life.

Women We Buried, Women We Burned is a life story of religious trauma, abuse, adolescence, and death, but by the end gives one a feeling of inspiration and hope. While life may not go the way we hope and want, there is light at the end of the tunnel and suffering does not last forever; this is what this book showcases and does an amazing job of conveying their life story in a way that can be beneficial and educational to others.

The author shares the heart wrenching death of her mother when she was a young girl.and the effect it has on the family.She writes of the changes in her life and I was completely drawn in by her writing her spirit a story that stays with you even after you read the last pages.#netgalley #bloomsbury

I loved this book from beginning to end. The writing itself is lovely and easy to get lost in. The writer shared herself with the reader so concisely that it’s almost as if I could feel her emotions as the stories unfold. My own mother chose drugs over her children for many years and the trauma and feelings of loss that the writer shared gave me a sense of community that I didn’t know I lacked.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for my ARC of Women We Buried, Women We Burned by Rachel Louise Snyder.
What a powerful book. The author shares how the loss of her mother at a young age affects her life and also hwr family. This was heartbreaking to read at times but also shared some joy as well.

An honest, searing look at one woman's formative years, and how she moved past them. From losing her mother at an early age, to her father's remarriage and move to a different part of the country to embrace her aunt and uncle's "religion", Rachel tells the story of her life in a raw, unflinching tone.

I especially enjoyed her descriptions about living in Cambodia, and cried during the chapter about reporting on the tsunami 2004, and how she forgave and reconciled with her father and stepmother.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC!

I loved the honesty in this book. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. There are some quotes in this book that I will be thinking about for a long time.

Women We Buried is a thoughtful and in-depth look at Snyder's life. The loss of her mother at a young age and the turbulent relationship she had with her father and stepmother are covered in most of the book. Her mother's untimely death was especially painful and attributed to her chaotic and unfulfilled teenage years.

I enjoyed the author's writing style, especially how she went about incorporating a story from her past with the recent information she relayed to the reader. Her life as an expat in Cambodia, along with her travels reporting on wars, typhoons, hurricanes, and other tragedies, were descriptive and interesting. After she moved back to the U.S. and acquired a job as a professor in D.C., her relationship with her family, especially her stepmother, was given a second chance, growing into one of respect and caring.

Women We Buried is an exceptional read.