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Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me
An inspiring memoir of family, community, and resilience, and an ode to the power of books to help us understand ourselves, from the renowned founder of Well-Read Black Girl
“She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.”—Toni Morrison
For Glory Edim, that "friend of my mind" is books. Edim, who grew up in Virginia to Nigerian immigrant parents, started the popular Well-Read Black Girl book club at age thirty, but her love of books stretches far to public libraries alongside her little brothers after elementary school while her mother was working; to high school librairies where she discovered books she wasn't being taught in class; to dorm rooms and airplanes and subway rides—and, eventually, to a community of half a million other readers.
When Edim's father moved back to Nigeria while she was still a child, she and her brothers were left with a single mother and little money, often finding a safe space at their local library. Books were where Edim found community, and as she grew older, she discovered the Black writers whose words would forever change her: Nikki Giovanni through children's poetry cassettes; Maya Angelou through a critical high school English teacher; Toni Morrison while attending Morrison's alma mater, Howard University; Audre Lorde on a flight to Nigeria. In prose full of both joy and heartbreak, Edim recounts how these writers and so many others helped her to value to find her own voice when her mother lost hers, to trust her feelings when her father remarried, to create bonds with other Black women and uplift their own stories.
Gather Me is a glowing testament to the power of representation and the lasting impact of literature to gather our disparate parts and put them back together.
“She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.”—Toni Morrison
For Glory Edim, that "friend of my mind" is books. Edim, who grew up in Virginia to Nigerian immigrant parents, started the popular Well-Read Black Girl book club at age thirty, but her love of books stretches far to public libraries alongside her little brothers after elementary school while her mother was working; to high school librairies where she discovered books she wasn't being taught in class; to dorm rooms and airplanes and subway rides—and, eventually, to a community of half a million other readers.
When Edim's father moved back to Nigeria while she was still a child, she and her brothers were left with a single mother and little money, often finding a safe space at their local library. Books were where Edim found community, and as she grew older, she discovered the Black writers whose words would forever change her: Nikki Giovanni through children's poetry cassettes; Maya Angelou through a critical high school English teacher; Toni Morrison while attending Morrison's alma mater, Howard University; Audre Lorde on a flight to Nigeria. In prose full of both joy and heartbreak, Edim recounts how these writers and so many others helped her to value to find her own voice when her mother lost hers, to trust her feelings when her father remarried, to create bonds with other Black women and uplift their own stories.
Gather Me is a glowing testament to the power of representation and the lasting impact of literature to gather our disparate parts and put them back together.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2024
About the author
Glory Edim
5 books25.8k followersGlory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a Brooklyn-based book club and digital platform that celebrates the uniqueness of Black literature and sisterhood. In fall 2017 she organized the first-ever Well-Read Black Girl Festival. She has worked as a creative strategist for over ten years at startups and cultural institutions, including The Webby Awards and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Most recently, she was the Publishing Outreach Specialist at Kickstarter. She serves on the board of New York City's Housing Works Bookstore. --Penguin Random House
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
January 4, 2025
i love books about books
(review to come / thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
(review to come / thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
August 4, 2024
Glory tells the story about her life. Her parents came to the US from Nigeria. She learned so much from her mom about her culture. A great read.
November 23, 2024
Glory Edim is an absolute gem.
This book is sweet and absolutely necessary. It’s about following your passion through hardship and it’s about Black women learning not to doubt themselves, whether it’s in relation to stepping away from love and relationships that don’t serve you, or taking the chance to rebuild valuable connections with your loved ones, like she does with her parents, or making the decision to have a child in turbulent times— Glory says in this book: yo life didn’t promise you no rose garden, but you can do it sister! It’s not hyperbolic… there’s struggle, strife, and poverty — but never poverty of mind or spirit. In Gather Me, there’s climbing through that shit to get to the other side, also there’s acknowledgment and she’s fully transparent of how hard and how necessary that climbing through life can be, and often is. I’m so happy that she got to meet and speak with Obama during his book tour. As an avid reader myself, I feel like it must be so affirming to go from a thought surrounding your love of books to an action that builds, that connects, and that eventually sits you and your newborn child down with the former President.
So many great quotes are in here, so many nuggets of wisdom and she takes you on a journey through her life and the books that shaped her, and real talk, it feels like sitting down with a good friend who just happens to be mad luminous. Her love for literature is infectious, and her reflections on discovering Black authors like Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, and Maya Angelou were moving and super relatable. She honestly put me on soooo many more books to read. I’m going to go back to Toni Cade! Many people consider reading a lifeline, I am one of those folks, and this book and Goodreads and book clubs remind me that I’m in great company.
Reading this felt like a love letter to every reader who has ever been saved by a book. It’s a memoir and a word of thanks to the Black writers who inspire and be saving folks EVERY DAY. Glory is doing the Lord’s work, and I’m here for all of it.
This book is sweet and absolutely necessary. It’s about following your passion through hardship and it’s about Black women learning not to doubt themselves, whether it’s in relation to stepping away from love and relationships that don’t serve you, or taking the chance to rebuild valuable connections with your loved ones, like she does with her parents, or making the decision to have a child in turbulent times— Glory says in this book: yo life didn’t promise you no rose garden, but you can do it sister! It’s not hyperbolic… there’s struggle, strife, and poverty — but never poverty of mind or spirit. In Gather Me, there’s climbing through that shit to get to the other side, also there’s acknowledgment and she’s fully transparent of how hard and how necessary that climbing through life can be, and often is. I’m so happy that she got to meet and speak with Obama during his book tour. As an avid reader myself, I feel like it must be so affirming to go from a thought surrounding your love of books to an action that builds, that connects, and that eventually sits you and your newborn child down with the former President.
So many great quotes are in here, so many nuggets of wisdom and she takes you on a journey through her life and the books that shaped her, and real talk, it feels like sitting down with a good friend who just happens to be mad luminous. Her love for literature is infectious, and her reflections on discovering Black authors like Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, and Maya Angelou were moving and super relatable. She honestly put me on soooo many more books to read. I’m going to go back to Toni Cade! Many people consider reading a lifeline, I am one of those folks, and this book and Goodreads and book clubs remind me that I’m in great company.
Reading this felt like a love letter to every reader who has ever been saved by a book. It’s a memoir and a word of thanks to the Black writers who inspire and be saving folks EVERY DAY. Glory is doing the Lord’s work, and I’m here for all of it.
October 16, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published October 29, 2024.
This is a beautiful and eloquently written memoir! It reads as a biography but even more as a tribute to the power of books. Glory turned to books early on - books were here escape and the words from Black authors literally saved her at times. “There is something magical about finding just the right book at the right time.”
Glory’s home life was not ideal. Her parents got divorced and she had to take care of younger brother. Her father left unexpectedly to return to Nigeria and her mother eventually remarried. There are family secrets.
A random T-shirt from a boyfriend engaged strangers in conversations about Black authors and their books and eventually led to the Well-Read Black Girl Book Cub.
The book is current and addresses her real like reactions to racism. “It was Rodney King who taught me that my little brother was not safe in America.”
This book is a must read for anyone who loves books.
This is a beautiful and eloquently written memoir! It reads as a biography but even more as a tribute to the power of books. Glory turned to books early on - books were here escape and the words from Black authors literally saved her at times. “There is something magical about finding just the right book at the right time.”
Glory’s home life was not ideal. Her parents got divorced and she had to take care of younger brother. Her father left unexpectedly to return to Nigeria and her mother eventually remarried. There are family secrets.
A random T-shirt from a boyfriend engaged strangers in conversations about Black authors and their books and eventually led to the Well-Read Black Girl Book Cub.
The book is current and addresses her real like reactions to racism. “It was Rodney King who taught me that my little brother was not safe in America.”
This book is a must read for anyone who loves books.
December 18, 2024
Really lovely memoir filtered through the author's love of books, from the founder of Well-Read Black Girl.
Good on audio.
Good on audio.
November 10, 2024
Glory Edim (b. 1982) is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a platform including a podcast and book clubs highlighting notable historical and contemporary literature by Black authors. Gather Me (with a title inspired by Toni Morrison's classic Beloved) is Edim's memoir, where she recounts the pivotal role of literature in her life, from childhood through her coming of age to her adulthood. Edim is a first generation American -- her parents both immigrated to the US from Nigeria and divorced when Edim and her younger brother were children, with their father moving back to Nigeria suddenly and abandoning communication with them (or so it seemed). Edim had to grow up early, playing a large part in raising her younger brother and later her younger half-brother after her mom remarried, but reading remained a mainstay, helping her process her grief and, as she grew older, understand her parents' perspectives and process new information she learned about both her parents and her father's death. Books remained a touchpoint in other areas of her life, from navigating middle and high school, her romantic relationships, her career, and social and racial issues she's encountered throughout her life. Edim writes eloquently and beautifully, and I love how her favorite books, fictional characters, and authors were woven gracefully into the narrative. As a reader I was impressed at the level of personal growth and circumspection as Edim recounts painful and complicated issues from her past (which is a huge part of what a good memoir is for me). This is definitely one of my favorite memoirs of 2024.
Further reading:
The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper, MD
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Missed Translations: Meeting the Immigrant Parents Who Raised Me by Sopan Deb
The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tometich
My statistics:
Book 270 for 2024
Book 1873 cumulatively
Further reading:
The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper, MD
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Missed Translations: Meeting the Immigrant Parents Who Raised Me by Sopan Deb
The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tometich
My statistics:
Book 270 for 2024
Book 1873 cumulatively
November 5, 2024
This narrative centers on the author's life as a little girl born to Nigerian immigrants. It covers her experiences growing up in America during the 1980s and 1990s, when she faced racism, strived to keep her mother and brothers safe, connected with her community, and got through her love of literature. It is a personal account that reflects on both the joyful and challenging times with her family while also addressing the struggles of being a Black woman in America with Nigerian ancestry.
The book explores how literature served as a refuge and guiding force throughout her life, especially during her childhood when her mother battled depression. The author highlights the writers who shaped her development, influencing her approach to relationships, love, and activism. She invites readers into her world, offering a glimpse into the life that preceded her birth and emphasizing the profound impact that books had on her life. Ultimately, this book serves as a source of encouragement for intelligent Black girls who navigate sometimes harsh realities through the power of words.
One passage I loved was when the author wrote, "When the silence in the house seemed to press down on us in a way that made us gasp for breath, I would pick up Maurice and put him on the beanbag, then climb in next to him, dragging the big yellow book of Bible stories along with me. For a moment, we'd just sit side by side, my brother's little shoulder pressed up against mine, feeling the way the beanbag settled to the contours of our bodies and swelled up around us, soft and supportive. Ready, I'd ask Maurice, and he'd nod in return, his big brown eyes locked onto mine. This is a book of true stories I recited, doing my best imitation of my mother's soft, patient voice. It was my turn to teach someone to read."
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
The book explores how literature served as a refuge and guiding force throughout her life, especially during her childhood when her mother battled depression. The author highlights the writers who shaped her development, influencing her approach to relationships, love, and activism. She invites readers into her world, offering a glimpse into the life that preceded her birth and emphasizing the profound impact that books had on her life. Ultimately, this book serves as a source of encouragement for intelligent Black girls who navigate sometimes harsh realities through the power of words.
One passage I loved was when the author wrote, "When the silence in the house seemed to press down on us in a way that made us gasp for breath, I would pick up Maurice and put him on the beanbag, then climb in next to him, dragging the big yellow book of Bible stories along with me. For a moment, we'd just sit side by side, my brother's little shoulder pressed up against mine, feeling the way the beanbag settled to the contours of our bodies and swelled up around us, soft and supportive. Ready, I'd ask Maurice, and he'd nod in return, his big brown eyes locked onto mine. This is a book of true stories I recited, doing my best imitation of my mother's soft, patient voice. It was my turn to teach someone to read."
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
August 18, 2024
I for one can say I enjoyed this book. I read her first book ‘Well Read Black Girl’ where it was like an anthology of different black women writers who made her fall in love with reading as well as those who inspired me to write.
This book really spoke to me. I was able to put myself in Glory’s shoes, especially when she talked about how different books she reads were perfectly fitting to what was currently happening in her life. We underestimate the power that books hold and I’m glad that this was written. Books are for those who need to escape reality, find a safe space, and collect the words that scrambles in our minds.
This book really spoke to me. I was able to put myself in Glory’s shoes, especially when she talked about how different books she reads were perfectly fitting to what was currently happening in her life. We underestimate the power that books hold and I’m glad that this was written. Books are for those who need to escape reality, find a safe space, and collect the words that scrambles in our minds.
December 31, 2024
GATHER ME: A MEMOIR IN PRAISE OF THE BOOKS THAT SAVED ME by Glory Edim was an immersive experience, blending her life, her career, and her love of books together.
I am drawn to books about books, but sometimes the execution leaves me wanting; not so with GATHER ME. Edim strikes a perfect balance between exploring impactful books and mirroring them against the events of her life, including the development of Well Read Black Girl. I found myself resonating with the format, which flowed so naturally.
Edim doesn't shy away from being transparent about the struggles she's faced, and her vulnerability is much of what captivated me. I was previously unaware of her mother struggling with depression and being mute and catatonic for five years; Edim's chapter on Audre Lorde beautifully broke me and brought me to tears as I dwelled on my own complex relationship with my mother.
This was an absolute gift to read, one I savored and am so glad I came across when I did.
(Thank you to Ballantine for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)
I am drawn to books about books, but sometimes the execution leaves me wanting; not so with GATHER ME. Edim strikes a perfect balance between exploring impactful books and mirroring them against the events of her life, including the development of Well Read Black Girl. I found myself resonating with the format, which flowed so naturally.
Edim doesn't shy away from being transparent about the struggles she's faced, and her vulnerability is much of what captivated me. I was previously unaware of her mother struggling with depression and being mute and catatonic for five years; Edim's chapter on Audre Lorde beautifully broke me and brought me to tears as I dwelled on my own complex relationship with my mother.
This was an absolute gift to read, one I savored and am so glad I came across when I did.
(Thank you to Ballantine for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)
February 16, 2025
Gather Me takes its title from one of my favorite quotes from Toni Morrison. Edim's memoir speaks to her experiences growing up as the child of Nigerian immigrants. Throughout her childhood and adult life, books have brought her joy and sustained her through challenges, including the end of her parent's marriage, her father's return to Nigeria, and her experience moving into a caretaker role due to her mother's mental illness. Edim's passion for books led to her starting The Well-Red Black Girl, an online social media community celebrating the works of Black authors. I've always enjoyed her content and recommendations and appreciated the opportunity to learn more about her life and all the ways that books have influenced her. I loved seeing her love for books come full circle - at the beginning, she is speaking to the power of books in her childhood. At the end, she is cultivating that experience and connection for her son.
December 24, 2024
I absolutely loved this beautiful memoir. Of course, Edim writes lyrically about her life and the impact books have had on her at every stage. My TBR grew with every chapter!
November 19, 2024
In "Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me," Glory Edim offers an intimate and heartfelt exploration of how literature has shaped her life. Growing up in Virginia with Nigerian immigrant parents, Edim found respite in books among the turbulence of her family life. When her father moved back to Nigeria during her childhood, marking the beginning of a series of traumatic events, the local library became a sanctuary for Edim and her brother, Maurice, who she writes about incredibly tenderly. Through books, Glory discovered a community and a wealth of knowledge during a time she craved connection most.
This memoir is a powerful reflection on the writers who influenced Glory deeply, from Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelou to Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde. These authors, encountered at various pivotal moments in her life, taught her to value her own voice, trust her emotions, and forge meaningful connections with other Black women.
As a long-time fan and participant in the Well-Read Black Girl book club, I found "Gather Me" to be a powerful and relatable testament to the transformative power of literature. This book is all about the power of bibliotherapy to help validate our experiences, orient us to reality, and support us in dreaming up better possibilities for the future and for our children.
Edim’s vulnerability and honesty in recounting her life’s journey—caring for her mother with mental illness, protecting her brother during a frightening encounter with law enforcement, navigating the complexities of her relationship with her son's father—resonate deeply. Her life story illustrates how books not only helped her acknowledge her pain but also provided a blueprint for building a safer, more fulfilling inner world. This memoir is a testament to bibliotherapy’s potential to heal, guide, and inspire. Edim’s story, enriched by the literary greats who have shaped her, offers a compelling message of resilience and hope for lovers of Black literature. Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read!
This memoir is a powerful reflection on the writers who influenced Glory deeply, from Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelou to Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde. These authors, encountered at various pivotal moments in her life, taught her to value her own voice, trust her emotions, and forge meaningful connections with other Black women.
As a long-time fan and participant in the Well-Read Black Girl book club, I found "Gather Me" to be a powerful and relatable testament to the transformative power of literature. This book is all about the power of bibliotherapy to help validate our experiences, orient us to reality, and support us in dreaming up better possibilities for the future and for our children.
Edim’s vulnerability and honesty in recounting her life’s journey—caring for her mother with mental illness, protecting her brother during a frightening encounter with law enforcement, navigating the complexities of her relationship with her son's father—resonate deeply. Her life story illustrates how books not only helped her acknowledge her pain but also provided a blueprint for building a safer, more fulfilling inner world. This memoir is a testament to bibliotherapy’s potential to heal, guide, and inspire. Edim’s story, enriched by the literary greats who have shaped her, offers a compelling message of resilience and hope for lovers of Black literature. Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2024
Another interesting memoir. The author was born in the US to Nigerian immigrants. She struggled through many childhood difficulties with her parents divorcing, her mother remarrying a verbally abusive man, and her mother eventually divorcing again and becoming selectively mute. Glory was the one raising her two brothers during these struggles. Throughout her life, she read and reread many novels written by Black authors, especially women. After college, she started a book club and online social media platform called Well Read Black Girls. The final chapter of this book is a letter to her young son about many of the things she has learned so far in her life.
November 1, 2024
“What happens to you when you're on the losing end of a genocide? What happens when you watch hundreds of thousands of children slowly die, and the people who killed them are allowed to win? Who do you become when you watch the people you love systematically become erased from this earth? When first their bodies, then their souls, and then their names fade away, forgotten?”
December 10, 2024
One of my few 5 star ratings. Loved it!
August 11, 2024
In this reflective and vulnerable memoir, Glory Edim looks back on her life and the way books have had a lasting impact on her life, from her childhood to present. Edim takes readers back to the lives of her parents, where her Nigerian mother fell in love with an Nigeran-American man and agreed to leave her home seemingly at whim to build a new life in a completely different continent, and the ways in which their separation reverberated in her own upbringing. It was especially at this time that she turned to books, especially those written by female and black authors, for solace and guidance.
It's within the memories of these pages that Glory seems to remember her own life, from the moments she stood up to her high school English teacher for his criticism of Maya Angelou's failed use of grammar to the beginnings of the Well Read Black Girl Book Club with their initial reading and discussion of Ta-Nehisi Coates "Between the World and Me". She reveals her struggles as an adolescent and adult, moving from a student at Howard University to an independent adult; her complicated relationship with her biological father; watching her mother struggle with severe depression; and her own difficulties with romantic relationships, including her own entry into motherhood after the birth of her son Zikomo.
There are mentions and passages from a number of incredible authors interspersed in this memoir (Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, Coleson Whitehad, Jacqueline Woodson, etc. ) that any book-lover will delight in, and I walked away with a number of new books to add to my TBR. The writing is complex and thoughtful, and Edim's prose is strong and concise. Well worth a read and very much recommended with "Gather Me" is published in October 2024!
Thank you Ballantine Books for the advance copy of this novel!
It's within the memories of these pages that Glory seems to remember her own life, from the moments she stood up to her high school English teacher for his criticism of Maya Angelou's failed use of grammar to the beginnings of the Well Read Black Girl Book Club with their initial reading and discussion of Ta-Nehisi Coates "Between the World and Me". She reveals her struggles as an adolescent and adult, moving from a student at Howard University to an independent adult; her complicated relationship with her biological father; watching her mother struggle with severe depression; and her own difficulties with romantic relationships, including her own entry into motherhood after the birth of her son Zikomo.
There are mentions and passages from a number of incredible authors interspersed in this memoir (Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, Coleson Whitehad, Jacqueline Woodson, etc. ) that any book-lover will delight in, and I walked away with a number of new books to add to my TBR. The writing is complex and thoughtful, and Edim's prose is strong and concise. Well worth a read and very much recommended with "Gather Me" is published in October 2024!
Thank you Ballantine Books for the advance copy of this novel!
January 12, 2025
I really loved this memoir by the Well Read Black GIrl, Glory Edim. She has such an interesting life story - from a mother from Nigeria who immigrates with a Nigerian man who lives in DC, to the demise of their marriage and his return to Nigeria. Her mother goes into a deep depression, leaving Glory to manage her mother and her brothers at a young age.
The book is told through the perspective of books that she read that helped transform the way she thought. She mentions one or two then describes how she interpreted them in her life and how her thoughts changed.
I really enjoyed listening to her narration and visiting with her in Zibby’s bookclub. If you want a shorter memoir to try, this one is about 8 hours at 100% speed and worth a listen.
“She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It's good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.”
—TONI MORRISON, Beloved
Epigraph
Davis, Giovanni, West, Brooks, Butler, Lorde, hooks, Adichie, Shange, Kincaid, Hurston, Naylor, Angelou, Bambara, Walker, Hansberry, Morrison, Smith, Sanchez.
“Books have been my ladder, my stepping-stones, my therapist, my teacher, my medicine, my parents, my religion, my lover, my fool, my instructional manual for life. Words, sentences, pages, and chapters have echoed my loneliness, reflected my joy, guided me to the shadowy corners of my heart and soul that needed to be coaxed into the light, given me strength, helped me grow and change.
Books taught me to bloom.
Books gave me my direction. My career. My community. My chosen family. My purpose.” Prologue
“In between her loving preparations of food, there was no room to understand the struggles her daughter might be going through.
No space to contemplate what it was to be a minority, to grow up Black in America. Instead, she fed and nurtured me the best way she knew how.” Ch 1
“I wasn’t searching out these books to see myself reflected because I was already surrounded by people who looked like me…. What I was truly interested in were stories of children who were in peril and somehow made it out. I needed to read to understand survival and… come out an in tact person. I was looking for practical advice.” Ch 2
“You think your pain, and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world. And then you read James Baldwin.” Ch 8
The book is told through the perspective of books that she read that helped transform the way she thought. She mentions one or two then describes how she interpreted them in her life and how her thoughts changed.
I really enjoyed listening to her narration and visiting with her in Zibby’s bookclub. If you want a shorter memoir to try, this one is about 8 hours at 100% speed and worth a listen.
“She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It's good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.”
—TONI MORRISON, Beloved
Epigraph
Davis, Giovanni, West, Brooks, Butler, Lorde, hooks, Adichie, Shange, Kincaid, Hurston, Naylor, Angelou, Bambara, Walker, Hansberry, Morrison, Smith, Sanchez.
“Books have been my ladder, my stepping-stones, my therapist, my teacher, my medicine, my parents, my religion, my lover, my fool, my instructional manual for life. Words, sentences, pages, and chapters have echoed my loneliness, reflected my joy, guided me to the shadowy corners of my heart and soul that needed to be coaxed into the light, given me strength, helped me grow and change.
Books taught me to bloom.
Books gave me my direction. My career. My community. My chosen family. My purpose.” Prologue
“In between her loving preparations of food, there was no room to understand the struggles her daughter might be going through.
No space to contemplate what it was to be a minority, to grow up Black in America. Instead, she fed and nurtured me the best way she knew how.” Ch 1
“I wasn’t searching out these books to see myself reflected because I was already surrounded by people who looked like me…. What I was truly interested in were stories of children who were in peril and somehow made it out. I needed to read to understand survival and… come out an in tact person. I was looking for practical advice.” Ch 2
“You think your pain, and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world. And then you read James Baldwin.” Ch 8
August 9, 2024
Books: they have comforted Glory Edim throughout her life. Readers can relate to the power and inspiration of her words.
This is a personal account of the good times and challenges with her beloved mother, brothers, friends and adoring young son, Zikomo. It makes me want to give her a hug for all that she has endured.
Glory starts when she was eight years old living in a cramped two-bedroom apartment in the DC area. It was Glory who had to hold on tight with her responsibilities of school along with taking care of her brothers. Later in college, she also looked after her single mother who was diagnosed at that time with depression. A lot of people would have stopped in their tracks but she found strength with her good will and kind heart.
The book is well written with the struggles of being a Black woman in America with ancestors from Nigeria. She was given a T-shirt that said: Well-Read Black Girl Book Club. She wore it everywhere in NYC. She said it opened friendships with lots of interesting people. There was so much enthusiasm, she started a literary festival.
Her words will resonate with a lot of readers that love memoirs and especially those who are reaching out for self-help to overcome struggles. It will no doubt give them the endurance that they need to make it through tough times. It ends with a heartfelt letter to her young son.
My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced book with an expected release date of October 29, 2024.
This is a personal account of the good times and challenges with her beloved mother, brothers, friends and adoring young son, Zikomo. It makes me want to give her a hug for all that she has endured.
Glory starts when she was eight years old living in a cramped two-bedroom apartment in the DC area. It was Glory who had to hold on tight with her responsibilities of school along with taking care of her brothers. Later in college, she also looked after her single mother who was diagnosed at that time with depression. A lot of people would have stopped in their tracks but she found strength with her good will and kind heart.
The book is well written with the struggles of being a Black woman in America with ancestors from Nigeria. She was given a T-shirt that said: Well-Read Black Girl Book Club. She wore it everywhere in NYC. She said it opened friendships with lots of interesting people. There was so much enthusiasm, she started a literary festival.
Her words will resonate with a lot of readers that love memoirs and especially those who are reaching out for self-help to overcome struggles. It will no doubt give them the endurance that they need to make it through tough times. It ends with a heartfelt letter to her young son.
My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced book with an expected release date of October 29, 2024.
November 25, 2024
A relatable book-inspired memoir from the Well Read Black Girl. The secrets and loss that shaped her makes for a heartfelt narrative. I want to have coffee with Glory and talk books and family. I found her letter to her son my favorite chapter. Her fears and devotion are from a motherly place of love that is instinctual. Her takeaways from the books that shape each chapter made me think about her experience as a first generation American so different from me but so much the same.
Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley
December 31, 2024
A great book to end the year on as the author, founder of the Well-Read Black Girl book club, shares personal stories about how books were powerful forces in her life. She references favourite authors and books I've also read and though I don't share the difficulties of her background, so much resonated in how she coped using books both to inform and, at times, to escape. It's an inspiring novel about family, community, and resilience.
November 24, 2024
I believe this is my first memoir. I appreciate a lot of things about this book. A love how books were not only an escape but a call to action, a guide, a counselor. I appreciate being introduced to new authors and poets. I felt like something was missing from her story though. I could definitely feel the sincerity and earnestness in the end with the letter to her son.
December 26, 2024
She is an excellent writer and many of the early chapters were very compelling. But overall I am not sure it spoke to me as a reader specifically and it was reminiscent of other coming of age books I have read. Her insights were strong, but might have benefited from a longer framing of a life time of reading rather than the early years only.
December 27, 2024
Always feel bad rating a memoir, but I bought this book because the cover had a lot to say about how much the author learned about herself on a flight to Nigeria and I later discovered on my own flight to Nigeria that the section about that experience was comprised of all of 10 pages. Great book though and the “book about books” was a really inventive memoir writing concept!
November 10, 2024
What could be better than a memoir and a story about the healing power of books? Edim opens up about the trauma of being abandoned by her father as a child. His leaving the family to return to Nigeria not only devastated her but her mother as well. As her mother escaped into silence, her escape became the world of books. I absolutely loved her discovery of Black authors whose words would forever impact her life. Edim takes the reader from childhood through college, and into adulthood. I loved reading about books and authors and how they inspired her. Her love of books and her search for community led her to form the Well-Read Black Girl. I could totally relate to books that usher you through life and the importance of seeing yourself and life reflected in stories. This book touched me to my core. 4.5 stars
December 5, 2024
There’s just something about books about books 😻
January 13, 2025
This is a touching memoir of a very influential woman's life through the books that made her who she is - touching and thought-provoking.
September 12, 2024
This was one of my Netgalley reads. It was a tad bit slow. I was trying to follow up until the last page.
December 21, 2024
I hate to say it but just not good 😣 I listened to the audiobook & she also has a really annoying way of reading that’s very much “reading voice.” Some parts were better than others—like when she connected books to her mother’s illness and father’s absence. But many parts barely connected to books, and it was just kind of a generic life story told in a forgettable way. There were too many times when she’d say something like “imagine a young girl reading Angelou’s words.” It’s like, ok, yeah, I can imagine it… but isn’t that what YOU as the author are supposed to be writing about? Just lacking overall in skill & execution.
June 3, 2024
‘Gather Me’ by: Glory Edim is a memoir in which Glory grew up with the love of books. The books that she enjoys help her throughout her life. Those books also helped her start a foundation. As I read this book, I discovered there’s so many things the Glory have to go through the good and bad. She has books that saved her from the outside world. Books that can be like a friend or a shoulder to cry on.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.
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