Book Review ~ A Natural Woman by Carole King

A Natural Woman: A Memoir by Carole King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Carole King. I respect her as a person and a performer even more since I read her memoir.  She is an amazing woman in so many ways.  When I consider how much her music is the sound track for my life, I am even more amazed at her talent for writing song lyrics and music.

I found the story of her life is far from ordinary.  She has really lived quite a remarkable life in many ways.  Her life has been filled with much heartbreak and chaos.  She is also a rock of stability in so many ways.  She is an incredibly strong woman who can milk a goat, live in wild, write music that will remain long after she is gone, raise children, marry men who don't deserve her, and even survive physical abuse.  I had no idea that she had been a victim of spousal abuse before I read her book.

When I attended her Denver Troubadour Tour Concert where she performed with James Taylor in 2010, I was just weeks past the traumatic death of my 34 year old daughter.  I credit her performance with giving  me much of  the inspiration to keep on living my life fully the best way I could.  Carole King spoke to me with her music, her demeanor, and her vibrancy.  She helped bring me out of the shock of grief that had a hold on the core of my life.

As I watched her perform, I knew I would survive and thrive again.  Here was a woman from my generation who had traveled many hard roads, but she could still convincingly belt out her music.  Age and life experiences only made her ability to sing more authentic than than it had been before. Life experience made gave her more depth, more richness.   Natural woman indeed.  Rocking those curly, gray locks of hair while wearing high heels and age appropriate but still sexy attire, only added to her youthful appearance.  This woman does not hide behind styled and colored hair, or wrinkle erasers.  Face lifts have not altered her iconic looks.  She is natural.  Her blue, sparkling eyes and big smile are ageless.

That being said, I was disappointed in her book.  I read her story with interest, but I did not enjoy her writing style.  She is a song writer.  That is her genre.  Memoir is not her forte.  She exceeds the norm in most areas, but not in writing a book.

I glad I bought the book.  I'm glad I read it.  She is truly an amazing woman.  I was just disappointed in her ability to connect with her readers, who already have such a connection to her through her music,  even though she has a story to tell that is absolutely fascinating.


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