Reminiscent of Educated, Shawna Kay Rodenburg's memoir portrays a dysfunctional family that's full of poverty, religion, trauma and drama. In telling her story from the viewpoint of multiple generations and their journey from the coal mines of Appalachia to an off-the-grid religious community in Minnesota, we learn of her survival and enduring familial love despite the harsh discipline she suffered (that today we call child abuse) to sexual abuse (at the age of 8) by predatory adults in the religious community as well as older boys in her schools.

This book will stay with me a long time. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I became so invested in every back story, character and memory that is Shawna Kay’s memoir, Kin.
I appreciate how in depth and raw the book was. She tells her story in such a way, it’s hard to not feel real feelings for herself and her family. Each word is written with love, loyalty and thoughtfulness for her family’s history albeit the tough, uncomfortable & harsh stories they are.

I read many memoirs and this one stands as one of my favorites.

I’ve recently been reading books and watching documentaries about cults, so I was glad to be able to read Kin by Shawna Kay Rodenburg. For fans of The Glass Castle or Educated, Shawna Kay deftly navigates sharing about her family and life in a way that draws the reader in but avoids demonizing.

I imagine this would also make for a powerful audiobook experience.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing a copy of this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Fascinating look at a lifestyle I knew very little about. Love, loss, and real life story of a young girl from the Appalachian area. I was drawn in from the first chapter. Her writing draws you in and the details allow you to place yourself in the scenes. Shawna thank you for sharing your story with such passion, even the hardest parts. I hope your sharing will help others to see their stories matter.

My mom is from Appalachia, so I really enjoy reading about the area. The author has done a fantastic job here. I very much enjoyed the read.

Raymond Carver said he never talked down to his characters, because they were his people. Rodenberg manages the difficult task of treating her characters with dignity and respect, while infusing her narrative with the deepest and best sort of humor. I've been waiting for this book for a long time, and hope it gets the recognition it deserves for examining this distinct American culture in a way that 'Hillbilly Elegy' failed to do.

I love reading memoirs, and Kin was no exception. It gave me a wonderful picture into the life of Shawna Kay and her family. I could feel her deep loyalty to her family yet her desire for a different life. My one critique would be that it is not told in chronological order, and that was a bit confusing at times.