Baby Doll
My Mother, My Secrets
by Charlotte Rossler
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Pub Date 30 Sep 2021 | Archive Date 2 Dec 2021
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Description
Charlotte Gulling, a California kid in the late 1960s, and the only stepchild of eight siblings, is a target for an abusive stepfather. Her mother spends too much time in Las Vegas while her husband is serving in Vietnam, leaving Charlotte to care for an unruly gang of seven younger siblings.
Charlotte fits in nowhere, not at home, not at high school. Lonely and with no guidance, Charlotte gets pregnant at fifteen, is sent away from home and forced to give up the baby for adoption.
After a second pregnancy at sixteen, and a short-lived marriage, Charlotte searches for love outside the world that brought her only pain. She meets and falls deeply in love with Mike, a man whose tranquil temperament belies the nature of his work. Charlotte finds happiness with Mike and enjoys a lifestyle unlike any she’s ever known. A house on a hill overlooking Monterey Bay, parties, travel, and every kind of material comfort. Mike, however, is a major cocaine dealer, and Charlotte succumbs to full-blown addiction.
Loss of control over her life forces Charlotte to leave Mike. She travels across Europe to escape her drug dependency and plan her future. For six months her life is filled with romance, friendship, adventure, and danger as she drifts between France, Holland, Italy, and the Greek Islands. She thinks she’s invincible and takes foolish risks – even smuggles blue jeans into a communist country and barely escapes rape. Following a serious illness, she returns to California.
But upon arriving home, Charlotte discovers Mike has found someone new. A return to the wild life and a near-fatal car wreck pushes Charlotte to realize her own frail emotional stability. She seeks the counsel of her loving grandfather, the one figure in her life who loves her unconditionally and a man she trusts and respects more than any other. His one wish before he dies is to see Charlotte stand proudly on her own.
Terrified to watch her grandfather’s health decline, Charlotte struggles to care for him and simultaneously finish court-reporting school before he passes. Flying back and forth between her home in California and his home in Texas, her grandfather’s needs are enormous, threatening her ability to finish her education. The dilemma of choosing between her grandfather’s well-being and her own survival haunts her. During this same time, both her newly-found biological father and half-sister die violently, leaving her emotionally shattered.
Despite many setbacks, she forges on, relentless in her fight to realize her grandfather’s vision for her, becoming financially independent. But Charlotte knows that another important task looms ahead. She must find the children she gave away so many years before.
Advance Praise
"The writing shimmers and scenes burst through the page of this propulsive memoir. There is not a dull moment."
"The writing shimmers and scenes burst through the page of this propulsive memoir. There is not a dull moment."
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9781737756019 |
| PRICE | US$3.99 (USD) |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Michelle S, Reviewer
Baby Doll: My Mother, My Secrets (2021) is a compelling confessional narrative and debut memoir written by Charlotte Rossler. As the oldest child in an observant Catholic home of seven children, Charlotte suffered the worst physical and emotional abuse by her volatile highly disturbed parents. As an adult, she was unable to form the bonds with others that led to the genuine love and stability she craved. Instead, she sought refuge in illicit drug use, educational pursuits, and extended travel abroad. Over time, she would face multiple challenges made by poor decisions that held her back. This is Charlotte’s inspirational story.
Charlotte, forced to take full responsibility from early childhood of caring for her six half siblings while her beautiful reckless mother left California, partied in Las Vegas, and had affairs. During these multiple events, her clueless husband, a Marine, was serving two tours in Vietnam. The appalling neglect and abuse these children suffered at the hands of these horrible parents should have alerted Child Protective Services. Eventually, Charlotte sought love and validation through teen sex, and was forced to relinquish her newborn sons for adoption, after her frantic mother was unable to procure abortions.
It was the unconditional love of her grandparents that provided a sliver of hope and likely saved the family from additional failure and despair. The stability of success in marriage and family life that was celebrated by many of Charlotte’s adult siblings seemed to elude her, and the cruel unpredictable twists of fate that occurred after meeting her biological father and other family members would have caused the average person to be admitted to a psychiatric facility. This is truly a brave and courageous testament of resiliency and healing. Charlotte Rosser holds professional certification in court reporting, and has studied organizational management and creative writing in college. Many of her short stories have been featured in notable independent publications, she lives in Ventura, California. ** With thanks to BooksGoSocial via NetGalley for the DRC for the purpose of review.
Angela L, Reviewer
This is about a girl called Charlotte
It is about her being pregnant in high school
And it was about her Mother who is not very well liked
I had an ARC
Lisa H, Educator
Thank you for the opportunity to read 'Baby Doll: My Mother, My Secrets'l'. The author tells of her difficult childhood which was lacking in love and which projected her into a difficult adulthood. Her life has certainly been tumultuous and it was fascinating to read and to recognise her strength to be able to come through the journey.
Cynthia G, Reviewer
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I loved this book. I loved it more because it was an autobiography. I wanted to know this woman. I wanted to be her neighbor and go through life with her. I did catch myself tearing up a few times.
Kelly L, Librarian
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a life Charlotte Rossler has led so far. From a dysfunctional home life to teen pregnancy to drugs and travel, then finally beginning to find her footing while discovering new family, it's been a tumultuous life.
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