Maya Blue is a survival story, written by journalist and filmmaker Brenda Coffee. Oh, what a life she has lived! I found her memoir riveting, the experiences she shares are brutally honest and harrowing to read about. From her first husband's descent into addiction and abuse to the attempted rape and murder by Guatamalen guerrillas, this woman's resilience is truly a remarkable story. I only wish it was longer, as from her epilogue it seems that she has continued with overcoming further life obstacles beyond the pages of this book. Perhaps another memoir is coming...?

thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book

this memoir was really interesting, the author has lived a million lives and the fact she’s still a functioning person is honestly nuts. for this reason though i feel like none of the books writing was cohesive, it felt like a few short stories that weren’t really related to each other. i still liked it but the flow of the writing just wasn’t the best

Author Brenda Coffee's story is extraordinary. At the age of twenty one, she was married to Philip, several years her senior. She would have done anything for him...and did. He was a scientist in his own right, experimenting in their basement of Spy House on the Hill. Brenda became adept at restoration projects on their home which many years earlier had Nazi spies living in it. Brenda and Philip were surprised to discover a secret room. But what that basement turned into was a secret, too, and the couple stopped having friends over. With good reason. Philip was manufacturing cocaine. Brenda was understandably worried for many reasons, not just legal implications but his safety was at constant risk as he experimenting with dangerous chemicals. He was part of the Advanced Tobacco Products team who created smokeless cigarettes and, in fact, Brenda coined "vapes" and "vaping". A huge problem arose when he became addicted to cocaine which changed his personality and badly affected her. She didn't recognize this "imposter" whose reliance on the drug was paramount to his life. After seventeen years together, cancer took his life and Brenda grappled with a kaleidoscope of emotions and legal issues. She had further adventures when spending time in Guatemala. She finally felt at peace after meeting James but was thrown another curveball; she had breast cancer. However, she was better equipped mentally.

Brenda's life with Philip was adventurous and exciting yet fraught with anxiety, neglect and worry. Her further tragedies and survival contributed to her courage and renewed sense of self. Her life has been unusual and I appreciate that she decided to write about it. My life has been adventure after adventure but in completely different ways. I can't fathom putting up with what she did but of course we don't know what we would do in certain situations. Thankfully, she eventually found peace and comfort. Her story was well worth reading.

The premise of this memoir is very intriguing. I was totally blown away by her experiences in Guatemala and her resilience and incredible survival. I found the sections “at home” in Texas less interesting. Her husband was a genius, but his decline into addiction seemed so trite. The events and thoughts seemed a bit disjointed, but you have to admire her strengths and perhaps identify with her weaknesses.

Compelling true story of a resilient woman who grows in her life experience new ( crazy, crazy experiences ! ) to face and handle whatever life throws at her.
Other reviews say the first 1/2 or first 2/3rds are page turners and the last part of the book falls off but I would disagree with that.

When a woman who has been traumatized, victimized and neglected rises and roars that is compelling to me. So while the life threatening adventures may calm a bit in the last 1/3rd of the book her clarity, accountability and sense of righteousness are exciting to see.

I read this fairly short book in 24 hours. It's not necessarily a page turner but it's very intriguing, compelling and perhaps shocking, as well.

MAYA BLUE A Memoir of Survival
by Brenda Coffee

Thank you to NetGalley and Susie Stangland for the ARC ebook

“It was a fairytale until it wasn’t.”

A harrowing memoir that truly reads like a thriller. Brenda Coffee at the young age of twenty-one married and became totally enamoured with her charismatic and powerful husband, Philip Ray. Brenda wanted to please him in all ways and be the woman he couldn’t live without….till her world falls apart. From a cocaine lab in her basement, to the Big Six tobacco companies threats, to the Guatemalan Army pulling her from the car and forcing her into the jungle, Brenda’s raw writing sheds light on her life that is anything but normal, and reveals the dark sides of her life.

I honestly could not believe the strength and resilience Brenda had to endure the things she went through. She talks of having to be the parent instead of the child and caretaker instead of a wife, learning not to get too excited or too hopeful, too down or too afraid. This is a fast-paced unbelievable read and I highly recommend it. I think it would be a great discussion for book clubs. Pub date is May 20, 2025. Maya Blue, is a metaphor for strength and resilience.

I was drawn to Maya Blue by Brenda Coffee because of my connection to Guatemala, a country where I had the chance to intern and volunteer. Reading about her experiences in Central America, sparked my interest. Brenda's personal story is one of survival, strength, and heartbreak, particularly her relationship with her husband. Her memoir feels like a rollercoaster, diving into the chaos of her life and the messiness of love, addiction, and crime.

The first half of the book was by far my favorite. It was fast-paced and gripping, showing how she became involved in such a dangerous world. There was so much tension, particularly as she navigated her husband's erratic behavior and her own self-destructive tendencies. You could feel the urgency in her words, almost like she was caught in a whirlwind she couldn’t escape. The raw emotions were tough to read at times, especially the parts about her time in Guatemala, but I was so invested in her story that I couldn't stop reading.

While I loved the first half, I did feel the tone shifted a bit towards the end. It wasn’t as strong, and some of the urgency seemed to fade. Still, Maya Blue is an intense and emotional ride that will stay with you long after you finish. It's a unique read that blends memoir, thriller, and a story of hope in the face of unimaginable odds.

*Thank you to Simon and Shuster for this ARC**

This feels like reading a memoir but in two parts. It’s not cohesive. The author has certainly lived an interesting life. Throughout the entire book (until almost at the very end), I wanted to send her “codependent no more” because my goodness, she is a certified train wreck when it comes to men. She reports that she has worked through that by the end so I commend her for that. I found much of her story fascinating. The first half about the brilliant coke-head husband who created the first computer amongst other inventions who was always on a rampage was especially entertaining. Some parts were hard to read (Guatemala) and her husband’s passing from cancer but I was enthralled and would recommend reading this. If, for no other reason, to feel better about your own life and neuroses.

I felt really conflicted on my review of this book - I enjoyed parts of it, especially the beginning when Brenda describes how her and her husband got tied up in the industry but found the writing to be repetitious and superfluous. There were multiple times where the writing was all over the place and I had to try and remember what previously happened.

This book was interesting but I think there needs to be some further editing and continuity considerations.

I thought this was a really interesting read. It was unique and felt like a few different stories in one. I really enjoyed the beginning and middle. It was fascinating reading about the story with the basement and the cocaine, I could hardly put it down. Overall I preferred the beginning and middle and found it to be stronger. I felt the tone of the book shift towards the end and peter out as the story wound down.

*Rating for NetGalley*

Feeling conflicted cause I am not sure how to rate biographies/memoirs that I don't feel strongly about.

The first part was super intriguing, but something about the rest of the book, mainly the writing and wording of certain things, felt a bit off.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital copy of this book.

*** I DON'T RATE MEMOIRS *** but for review submission requirements 5 ⭐️


This was a such an intense read!❤️‍🩹
Describing it as "fans of breaking bad" is so accurate in the most heartbreaking way possible

"I wanted to be like no woman Philip has met or ever would meet. I wanted to be the one he couldn’t live without. I’ve reinvented myself; a woman who does almost anything he wants whether it’s adventurous, dangerous, sexual, or illegal, but I’ve done more than that. I’m complicit in a drug lab"

This memoir had me from the first page if I'm honest, the wording, the emotions in the introduction to the memoir were intriguing

Another aspect that I loved about this book is that it reads like a thriller which as a thriller reader this was a bonus so in a sense this memoir is gripping, not the usual type of feel you get when reading a memoir

"He described our relationship: This is my train, and you’re welcome to ride it. If at any time you don’t like the destination, you’re free to get off, but you won’t find a better ride anywhere", I'm driven by this low-grade fear that I might be asked to get off at the next stop. Everything I do is because ofand for him since the day we started seeing one another"

This is one of those reads that will stay with me! A truly inspiring story of survival, strength and hope!