Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood
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- Create Date：2021-06-27 22:31:40
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Cheryl Diamond
- ISBN：B08GFK8DHV
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Summary
The incredible true story of a family built on lies。
What if the people you love most are not who you thought they were？ What if you don’t know who you are， either？ Cheryl Diamond’s memoir begins when she is four and her family is in Kashmir， India， hurtling down the Himalayas in their battered station wagon headed for the Golden Temple， the holiest site in the Sikh religion。 The family are Sikhs。 Today。 In a few years they will be Jewish。 Cheryl’s name is Harbhajan。 Today。 But in a few years she will be Crystal。 By the time she turns nine， Cheryl has had at least six assumed identities。 She has lived on five continents， fleeing the specter of Interpol and law enforcement。 Her father， a master financial criminal， or so she believes， uproots the family at the slightest sign of suspicion。
Despite the strange circumstances， Diamond’s life as a young child is mostly joyful and exciting， her family of five a tiny， happy circle unto themselves。 Even as she learn how to forge identity papers and fix a car with chicken wire， she somehow becomes a near-Olympic-level athlete and then an international teenage model。 She even publishes a book about it。 As she grows older， though， things get darker。 Her identity is burned again and again， leaving her with no past， no proof even that she exists， and her family—the only people she has in the world—begins to unravel。 Love and trust turn to fear and violence。 Secrets are revealed， and she is betrayed by those on whom she relies most。
Slowly， Diamond begins to realize that her life itself might be a big con。 Surviving would require her to escape， and we root for this determined woman as she unlearns all the rules of her family。 Cinematic and witty， Nowhere Girl is an impossible-to-believe true story of self-discovery and triumph。
What if the people you love most are not who you thought they were？ What if you don’t know who you are， either？ Cheryl Diamond’s memoir begins when she is four and her family is in Kashmir， India， hurtling down the Himalayas in their battered station wagon headed for the Golden Temple， the holiest site in the Sikh religion。 The family are Sikhs。 Today。 In a few years they will be Jewish。 Cheryl’s name is Harbhajan。 Today。 But in a few years she will be Crystal。 By the time she turns nine， Cheryl has had at least six assumed identities。 She has lived on five continents， fleeing the specter of Interpol and law enforcement。 Her father， a master financial criminal， or so she believes， uproots the family at the slightest sign of suspicion。
Despite the strange circumstances， Diamond’s life as a young child is mostly joyful and exciting， her family of five a tiny， happy circle unto themselves。 Even as she learn how to forge identity papers and fix a car with chicken wire， she somehow becomes a near-Olympic-level athlete and then an international teenage model。 She even publishes a book about it。 As she grows older， though， things get darker。 Her identity is burned again and again， leaving her with no past， no proof even that she exists， and her family—the only people she has in the world—begins to unravel。 Love and trust turn to fear and violence。 Secrets are revealed， and she is betrayed by those on whom she relies most。
Slowly， Diamond begins to realize that her life itself might be a big con。 Surviving would require her to escape， and we root for this determined woman as she unlearns all the rules of her family。 Cinematic and witty， Nowhere Girl is an impossible-to-believe true story of self-discovery and triumph。
Reviews
Jeff
，
Read The DTE （Dead Tree Edition）。 This was an interesting one， in more ways than one。 I had seen it on NetGalley and forgot to request it there。。。 and then the publisher out of the blue sends me the paperback （DTE） version thinking I might like it。 And y'all， the book itself really is excellent。 More detailed in the childhood/ teen years than the more adult period， which is perhaps more understandable as someone trying to maintain *some* sense of privacy over newer relationships。 But this book i Read The DTE （Dead Tree Edition）。 This was an interesting one， in more ways than one。 I had seen it on NetGalley and forgot to request it there。。。 and then the publisher out of the blue sends me the paperback （DTE） version thinking I might like it。 And y'all， the book itself really is excellent。 More detailed in the childhood/ teen years than the more adult period， which is perhaps more understandable as someone trying to maintain *some* sense of privacy over newer relationships。 But this book is also very disturbed。 The is one truly dysfunctional family whose particular dysfunctions actually led to quite a few rare experiences that combine to make a truly unique life。 For example， Diamond and her family were at the 15th Maccabiah Games in 1997 when the bridge collapsed - the very bridge her brother Frank was supposed to be marching across。 But the reasons they were there， and the events in later years。。。 they're so sensational the reader almost can't accept them as nonfiction！ And then there is the reason you need to read the DTE。 If you look at the DTE side-on， you will notice that the front third （ish） of the pages are pure white while the back two thirds （ish） of the pages are more of a cream color。 I noticed this about halfway into the book， and when I went back to look。。。 yep。 The colors change exactly at the point of a particularly devastating event - and any description would be a spoiler， so I'm only noting the overall position。 This is just one of those minor print details that actually makes a *genuine* case to read the DTE over my （far preferred） eReader edition， as on the eReader edition this detail couldn't happen。 :）Overall an interesting and compelling story， if truly disturbed。 Very much recommended。 。。。more
Mastorne
，
This book was so awesome。 It had an upbeat start， but things got intense quickly。 I felt a lot of different emotions throughout this。 By the end， I was satisfied although I wish some more loose ends were tied up。 But I will never forget this book and recommend it to anymore
Michelle
，
A best book of the year for me。 Superb。 Full rtcThank you to Algonquin Books and Cheryl Diamond for the gifted copies in exchange for an honest review。
Sharon
，
I was reminded of Educated by Tara Westover as I read this book， for the father who manipulated and dominated his family and for the family who seemed lost and helpless in the face of the father’s rage。 The author ends on a high note， reminding us of the power and redemption in forgiveness。 Highly recommend。
Amy
，
This isn’t a memoir; is crappy fiction that steals every “on the run” trope from movies and fictional titles。 From the “details” of her life at 4 to the conversations she’s reinacts （focus on “act，” because it’s bs）， to “I’m an Olympic-level athlete; my brother is also， but we will conveniently forget that we are fugitives while we pursue these dreams。 Ugh。 Enough already— and I didn’t even add what’s thrown in for shock value。 I’ll never get these wasted hours back。
Gel Rasper
，
This book had me hooked from page 1。 I love memoirs and read a lot of them， but this one stood out （right up there with “The Glass Castle”）。 The only negative， to me， was the ending。 I would have loved a more conclusive summary of everyone involved in the story。 Needless to say， I definitely would recommend this one！4。5 ⭐️
Jessica
，
Fascinating， But Leaves You With QuestionsThe memoir of an unbelievable childhood and young adulthood。 She is born on the run and lives a life of travel and intrigue， with her family， lead by her charismatic father。 Her life is fascinating and not entirely her own。 Most of the book， I was engrossed。 I would have liked more information at the end about what happened with certain people， but overall， I liked the book。
Susan
，
This was a real rollercoaster ride of a book。 Half the time I was thinking "No， this cannot possibly be true。" And I have no idea if it is or not。 There was truly a lot of insanity in that family， most of it the direct result of the father。 The author has a really glib way with words。 At one sentence I was laughing at the description of any given situation and on the next I was shocked at what she had written and had to read it twice to make sure she really wrote what I thought。 That happened mo This was a real rollercoaster ride of a book。 Half the time I was thinking "No， this cannot possibly be true。" And I have no idea if it is or not。 There was truly a lot of insanity in that family， most of it the direct result of the father。 The author has a really glib way with words。 At one sentence I was laughing at the description of any given situation and on the next I was shocked at what she had written and had to read it twice to make sure she really wrote what I thought。 That happened more than once。 It was well written but I kind of feel most of it has to be taken with a grain of salt。 Or a whole shaker。 。。。more
Nada
，
The truth of Nowhere Girl， memoir by model and author Cheryl Diamond， is stranger than fiction。 The answer to the "why" of her on-the-run childhood seems to be the fulcrum of the book。 Before comes the childhood with the idealism of childhood but the darkness of abuse。 After， although still a child， the book jumps to the emergence into adulthood。 What stands out throughout the book is the fractured relationships of this family。Read my complete review at http://www。memoriesfrombooks。com/2021。。。 R The truth of Nowhere Girl， memoir by model and author Cheryl Diamond， is stranger than fiction。 The answer to the "why" of her on-the-run childhood seems to be the fulcrum of the book。 Before comes the childhood with the idealism of childhood but the darkness of abuse。 After， although still a child， the book jumps to the emergence into adulthood。 What stands out throughout the book is the fractured relationships of this family。Read my complete review at http://www。memoriesfrombooks。com/2021。。。 Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher's blog tour。 。。。more
Annie
，
nope
KC
，
Imagine the life of living around the world; India， New Zealand， Brazil， New York。 Imagine living your life on the run from Interpol; aliases， shop lifting， forged documents。 Now imagine you are a child。 Author Cheryl Diamond reveals the true nature of her past， the relationships with her parents， siblings， and maternal grandparents， and her deep desire to be normal。
Grace
，
This was a gripping memoir。 If you like The Glass Castle or Educated， this has a similar feel。
Sascha
，
It cannot be a coincidence that non-fictional Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond begins with a seemingly happy family in a car that is careening downhill （mountain） after the brakes fail。 Obviously the family survives， but this initial car ride literally filled with highs and lows， emotions running the gamut， is a small taste of the entirety of the book。 And like any good gawker of destruction， how could I not read on？Cheryl’s life began under the Sanskrit name of Harbhajan （Bhajan）， a name that enc It cannot be a coincidence that non-fictional Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond begins with a seemingly happy family in a car that is careening downhill （mountain） after the brakes fail。 Obviously the family survives， but this initial car ride literally filled with highs and lows， emotions running the gamut， is a small taste of the entirety of the book。 And like any good gawker of destruction， how could I not read on？Cheryl’s life began under the Sanskrit name of Harbhajan （Bhajan）， a name that encapsulated all of the hopes her parents had for her and a name that she aspires to live up to。 Her bigger-than-life father treats her very differently from how he treats her sister， Chiara， and brother， Frank。 She thrives under his care， if， even as a child， she observes that maybe her hero possesses clay feet。 Under that care， she is molded into believing that she can do anything， be anything， and for a very long while that seems to be true。I was mesmerized by the adventures of this family， the living off the grid and living in the moment。 At the beginning there feels like there is great joy and spirituality in this life and the family seems to be a unit， with the exception of Chiara who， even early on， seems on the psychotic side。And then things begin to go awry （a mild description）。 The reader sees that the loyalty inspired by Bhajan’s father only goes so far and that when it begins to unravel little is left。The broken-brake ride from the opening of the memoir continues metaphorically throughout with the end results often not as sunny as those at the beginning。Diamond’s writing is on point。 So much so that the reader is lulled into this story and then shaken。 She is a gifted storyteller and that’s particularly important when the story is true。 Her eye for detail places the reader in the moment， creating the time and place and emotional impact。An excellent read。I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Devon Reigh
，
“Because our beginning， our first reality， is not our destiny。 It’s not always who we’re meant to become。 It’s simply other people’s idea of who we should be。”Thank you to @algonquinbooks for the ARC of this absolutely fantastic book！ Swipe for a synopsis。 The story of how Cheryl Diamond （aka Harbhajan） grew up is a wild one。 One that may truly come off as downright unbelievable。 But once I finished this book， the most unbelievable thing was how incredibly strong and resilient Diamond is after g “Because our beginning， our first reality， is not our destiny。 It’s not always who we’re meant to become。 It’s simply other people’s idea of who we should be。”Thank you to @algonquinbooks for the ARC of this absolutely fantastic book！ Swipe for a synopsis。 The story of how Cheryl Diamond （aka Harbhajan） grew up is a wild one。 One that may truly come off as downright unbelievable。 But once I finished this book， the most unbelievable thing was how incredibly strong and resilient Diamond is after growing up in such unusual and difficult circumstances。 I don’t normally love memoirs because I tend to find them kind of boring， but this one is anything but。 Diamond’s story is fascinating and her writing is beautiful and vivid。 Throughout this book I found myself smiling with， wanting to hug， and cheering for Diamond on many occasions。 It was so inspiring to read as she grew from a child who is controlled by her father， and turns his expectations of her on their head and fights to free herself and live a normal life。 I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone， but if you enjoyed The Glass Castle or Educated， you would especially love this beautiful book。 Tw: physical， emotional and sexual abuse， incest， gaslighting， diet culture， weight loss and disordered eating， chronic illness 。。。more
Mara
，
Nowhere Girl is a fascinating memoir written by Cheryl Diamond， who led her childhood on the run with her parents and two older siblings。 The memoir follows her childhood and young adulthood， led through more than a dozen countries。 The book begins with Diamond at age 4 in India， and as her age advances， so does her understanding of her family’s dynamics and why they are constantly moving， often with little to no warning。 She understands her family is on the run and using false documents， but fr Nowhere Girl is a fascinating memoir written by Cheryl Diamond， who led her childhood on the run with her parents and two older siblings。 The memoir follows her childhood and young adulthood， led through more than a dozen countries。 The book begins with Diamond at age 4 in India， and as her age advances， so does her understanding of her family’s dynamics and why they are constantly moving， often with little to no warning。 She understands her family is on the run and using false documents， but from who？ What are they running from and how do they have seemingly unlimited money？ I loved how these answers are slowly teased out， and as Diamond ages， the focus becomes clearer and we understand why her family is running and the intricacies of the family’s relationships。 The most prominent character in their life， is her simultaneously charming and mercurial narcissistic father， who controls all aspects of their lives。 He has lofty expectations and is rarely satisfied。 This leads to sometimes contradictory decisions， despite their need to stay hidden below the radar， he pushes all his children to achieve excellence in sports like gymnastics or swimming with the goal of reaching the Olympics。 With the necessity to stay hidden， their family is isolated from others， which seems to make abuse almost inevitable with no obvious way to ask for help。 Though the behavior of her family could be incredibly maddening， the story was so intriguing and I just wanted to know what would happen and if she would be able to separate from her family。 Diamond considers heavy questions like how do you forgive your family and can you repair dysfunctional relationships？ Though some questions about her family members are left unanswered， the memoir ends on an optimistic， pensive note。 I read the book and listened to the audiobook， which is fantastically narrated by Eileen Stevens。Thank you Algonquin Books for this ARC。 。。。more
Jenn of The Bookish Society
，
Very much an exciting ride through a life that most of us will never experience。 Very Catch Me if You Can， it left me wondering how much was true and how much amped up a bit to sell the story。 In any case， we'll probably never know and there is a lot here to chew on。 I think it'll make a great book club book as the discussions could be similar to those around Educated， by Tara Westover。 Very much an exciting ride through a life that most of us will never experience。 Very Catch Me if You Can， it left me wondering how much was true and how much amped up a bit to sell the story。 In any case， we'll probably never know and there is a lot here to chew on。 I think it'll make a great book club book as the discussions could be similar to those around Educated， by Tara Westover。 。。。more
Erin
，
I’ve read a bunch of memoirs in the last few years that all felt like they were trying to be the next “Educated。” The problem with these books is that aside from one quirk or unique aspect of the authors’ lives， there wasn’t really that much to fill a book。 “Nowhere Girl” is not like that one bit。 In fact， it’s clear that Cheryl Diamond could have written many books on the interesting pathways her life has taken over the years。Diamond was born into a family that was consistently on the run for d I’ve read a bunch of memoirs in the last few years that all felt like they were trying to be the next “Educated。” The problem with these books is that aside from one quirk or unique aspect of the authors’ lives， there wasn’t really that much to fill a book。 “Nowhere Girl” is not like that one bit。 In fact， it’s clear that Cheryl Diamond could have written many books on the interesting pathways her life has taken over the years。Diamond was born into a family that was consistently on the run for decades。 Each time they fled to a different place with her two siblings， she was given a new identity to assume。 Like the book jacket says， by the time she was nine， she’d lived in more than 12 different countries on five different continents。 This crazy-making lifestyle （what Diamond refers to as her fugitive childhood） would have been interesting enough to fill an entire book。 But it’s the family she’s surrounded by that truly makes the book fascinating。 As the book progresses， the reader learns more about each family member that makes Diamond’s life even more dangerous。 This grit and candidness serve as a solid way for the reader to become even more entrenched in Diamond’s life and storytelling。My favorite aspect of this book was the pacing。 It truly read like a suspenseful thriller。 The reader never knows when Diamond’s luck will run out – when she’ll at last get caught from whomever the family is running from。 Few memoirs read with this breathless kind of rush – but “Nowhere Girls” certainly moves at a breakneck speed。This book would not have worked if Diamond hadn’t decided to be completely honest， brutally so at times。 My only complaint of the entire book was that there was one major life event that occurred that was severely lacking on details （and ended up making me feel like I missed something important）。 Other than that， this compelling memoir had me captivated （and thankful for the more traditional life I’ve led！）。I’ll be recommending this memoir to anyone who wants a glimpse into a chaotic and thrilling life on the run。 Hopefully， Diamond has more stories to tell in the future – I’ll definitely be reading them！*Free ARC provided by Algonquin Books in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Suzanne
，
Such an interesting book， such an interesting， chaotic life。 It is hard to fully grasp all that this family did just to stay in society but hidden in plain sight。 It amazes me how they had the money to move like they did。 It involves two controlling fathers and how their families cope with them。 The story is told from the youngest child's point of view。 She is amazing with her thought processes and how she copes with everything。 The chapters are broken up and introduced via where they are living Such an interesting book， such an interesting， chaotic life。 It is hard to fully grasp all that this family did just to stay in society but hidden in plain sight。 It amazes me how they had the money to move like they did。 It involves two controlling fathers and how their families cope with them。 The story is told from the youngest child's point of view。 She is amazing with her thought processes and how she copes with everything。 The chapters are broken up and introduced via where they are living and her age。 A remarkable read。 。。。more
Christina
，
So I’m going to play on the fence with this one。 This is， “when fake it til you make it” goes wrong。This book was WILD！ Born into a family， a decade into being， international outlaws; the book starts off at a rapid pace。 We are quite literally in the middle of a horrific car scene， where a family of 5 are careening down the Himalayan mountains without any breaks。 This is the story of a young girl， who’s earliest memories are around 4 or 5， that is documenting her life in chronological age， as sh So I’m going to play on the fence with this one。 This is， “when fake it til you make it” goes wrong。This book was WILD！ Born into a family， a decade into being， international outlaws; the book starts off at a rapid pace。 We are quite literally in the middle of a horrific car scene， where a family of 5 are careening down the Himalayan mountains without any breaks。 This is the story of a young girl， who’s earliest memories are around 4 or 5， that is documenting her life in chronological age， as she recounts her life on the run as outlaws with her parents。 The story is truly mesmerizing and engaging， full of action and drama， and suspense。 I was fully drawn in by her story， that I couldn’t put the book down。 Learning about her family， living life on pure cash， fleeing country to country， and pushing life to the very edge in order to evade authorities。 There is a lot to unpack here in this story， however。 Her father， a megalomaniac， who physically and emotionally abuses them， pushes them all to be the best of themselves at all things， but deprives them of emotional support， is forcefully urging his family to run from authorities for nearly 3 decades。 We see this family’s story being told from the youngest child’s perspective， Harbajan， starting with her first memory at age 4。 Told in chronological order， we see her harrowing life in a family on the run， and the several escapades and situations that come upon them as they live through the 80s， 90’s， and early 2000’s。 Topics to discuss: - Megalomania - Emotional abuse - Physical abuse- Sexual abuse - Mental illness- Generational trauma- Helicopter/Detached parenting - Lack of stabilityDiamond （not her real name obviously） gives us front-row access to the behind the scenes of her parents’ illegal operation。 We are literally hand in hand with her on this entire journey。 Excited， scared， bewildered， and shocked right along with her as we read this visceral account of her childhood。 Yet， as I was nearing the end of the book， a thought dawned on me。 What if this memoir is a con？ She has been taught directly how to con people for a living。 Seeing that she was in financial distress， this book could all be a con？ These stories she tells us in chronological order could all be a scam， and we’re all being scammed？ Her story is unbelievable。 Straight from the movies， unbelievable。 If this is true， she has had one heck of a life。 However， her credibility is definitely in question seeing how she has professionally been able to keep up a lie for the majority of her life。 They’re lives were very extravagant， strict， and orderly despite the abruptness and spontaneity that they lived on。 She has impeccable memory， from these small details at the age of 4 up until her mid/late-20s。 It’s hard to believe that this family of 5 lived via cash only through the 80s and 90s evading the law。 If this is all true， this is an amazing journey that shows a side of humanity we don’t get to see too often。 However， this exciting lifestyle， though it may seem， is very sad。 Diamond and her siblings never see stability in their childhood。 They are prohibited from being normal in any sense of the word， and they are constantly on edge from having to lie and fake it through everything in their lives。 The cost of having to leave people， things， memories， lives， etc。 constantly weighs on them all， until it hits a breaking point。 Where do you go when you can’t go anywhere？ This is the life of Cheryl Diamond。 Would recommend， 4 stars。Thank you to Algonquin Books and Cheryl Diamond for this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Diane Hernandez
，
What would it be like being born into a fugitive family？ Moving constantly from town to town， continent to continent。 Changing names and backstories just as often。 With no roots or long-term friends， would you just be a Nowhere Girl？“I know my father’s laws by heart， because it is what we all believe: always be loyal to our family—for we will never betray each other。 Trust no one—they are outsiders。 And be a criminal—but be a noble one。 These are the rules we live by。 An unbreakable outlaw code。 What would it be like being born into a fugitive family？ Moving constantly from town to town， continent to continent。 Changing names and backstories just as often。 With no roots or long-term friends， would you just be a Nowhere Girl？“I know my father’s laws by heart， because it is what we all believe: always be loyal to our family—for we will never betray each other。 Trust no one—they are outsiders。 And be a criminal—but be a noble one。 These are the rules we live by。 An unbreakable outlaw code。“Wow， the author has lived a fascinating—yet ultimately stressful—life！ It’s not all adventure and exotic locales。 For Harbhajan just wants to fit in。 As a blond Viking-looking Sikh， it won’t be easy。 And then， after many more moves in as many years， Harbhajan’s family starts to fall apart。Nowhere Girl is a compelling look into an unusual lifestyle。 The author’s tone is perfect。 Like a best friend is telling you her life story along with closely held secrets。 There are many twists and turns along the way。If you like reading memoirs and stories about interesting families， Nowhere Girl is a must read。 5 stars and a favorite！Thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Cassidee Lanstra
，
It’s blog tour day for Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond！ Thank you to Algonquin for having me and sending me copies of this wonderful memoir。 I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last。 Memoirs can be a tricky thing to rate， because it can feel like you’re putting a rating on someone’s personal experiences。 I find that most memoirs that I pick up， I really enjoy。 There’s nothing quite like looking into another person’s life， especially when their life has been quite out of the ordinary。Th It’s blog tour day for Nowhere Girl by Cheryl Diamond！ Thank you to Algonquin for having me and sending me copies of this wonderful memoir。 I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last。 Memoirs can be a tricky thing to rate， because it can feel like you’re putting a rating on someone’s personal experiences。 I find that most memoirs that I pick up， I really enjoy。 There’s nothing quite like looking into another person’s life， especially when their life has been quite out of the ordinary。There’s a few things that make a memoir great to me and a huge one is vivid storytelling。 I like when you get a sense of that personal inner voice and we absolutely get that with Nowhere Girl。 We follow Cheryl into adulthood from childhood。 We watch her evolution from a mature， overachieving， loyal child to a grown woman reeling from the trauma she didn’t realize she was experiencing as kid。 There’s a lot of heavy stuff in the book and she tells it in a way that keeps us wanting to read more。 Trigger warnings for molestation by a family member， familial abuse， intense manipulation and gas-lighting。 The writing is well done; intelligent and expertly crafted。 There was never a boring passage or moment that I glazed over。Cheryl lives a life by many names but it’s truly empowering to see her journey from young Harbhajan to the woman she is today。 She lives with a father whose motives are all selfish but as a child， he’s her hero。 She sees a man on the run from Interpol at no fault of his own， though as she gets older， the layers are pulled back。 Like most children， she realizes her parents aren’t perfect， that they’re actually very flawed people。 Though her situation is extreme， many can relate to the moment that you shed the childlike mentality of blissful ignorance and realize that life isn’t as stable and idyllic as you once thought。 She comes to a moment of reckoning; her father stole years of stability， stole from her a place to call home。 She literally has no legal home country， as her parents used fake names on her birth certificate and have spent years running around the world on forged passports。 Does she go to court to try to fight for a place in the world？ Is this a betrayal to her father？ Will she be exiled to a country where she doesn’t know a soul， doesn’t know the language？ Will she ever have a life to call her own？Nowhere Girl is one of those books that would make an excellent movie because it’s almost unbelievable that someone went through this。 It’s truly awe-inspiring that Cheryl is able to write and tell us of all these hardships that she faced with her family。 She’s someone who has lived through the unthinkable and somehow keeps rising， keeps finding new ways to succeed。 This is a breathtaking， honest， witty memoir and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to read it。 。。。more
PfromJ
，
Incredible， truly。
Trish Ryan
，
Wow， this book！ I wasn’t sure what to think going in， but it was billed as similar to THE GLASS CASTLE， so I gave it a try。 I am so glad I did。NOWHERE GIRL is an incredibly powerful story。 It pulls off being both unique AND relatable。 On the unique side， the author was raised by outlaw parents who kept their family of five on the run all across the world fleeing Interpol。 But the manipulation and abuse within her family are relatable to anyone who has experienced gaslighting or narcissism within Wow， this book！ I wasn’t sure what to think going in， but it was billed as similar to THE GLASS CASTLE， so I gave it a try。 I am so glad I did。NOWHERE GIRL is an incredibly powerful story。 It pulls off being both unique AND relatable。 On the unique side， the author was raised by outlaw parents who kept their family of five on the run all across the world fleeing Interpol。 But the manipulation and abuse within her family are relatable to anyone who has experienced gaslighting or narcissism within a group dynamic。 The first few chapters are hard to believe - as other reviewers have noted， it is unlikely that the author’s memories from age four are this detailed and clear。 But keep reading。 Because about midway through the story gets REALLY good， as she wrestles with the crazy， almost unbelievable highs and lows of the path her family travels。 Watching her find her strength， walk away from people who use and abuse her and start over is incredible and inspiring。 Her awakening is also slower than one would hope， which is part of what gives this memoir credibility。 There are real gems in these pages as she differentiates herself from the people who raised her， and learns to lean on those differences as she builds her own life。 This was a breathtaking read， and I highly recommend it。Thanks to Algonquin and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mary
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Wow！ How a person can go through a life on the run with her family， sexual abuse， the death of her brother， Crohn’s disease， modeling and fighting for a legitimate passport and survive is beyond me。
Kristin Perrine
，
I have no idea if this story is 100% true， but if it is， wow！ What a wild ride！ The book immediately grabbed my attention and rarely let go。 The details were rich， the story intriguing。 I kept reading on to find out what could possibly happen next。 This is an adult written book， beautiful in its hope and despair。 A great commentary on what it means to define yourself wrapped up in an incredible journey。 You should read this book。
Karen K。
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“By the age of nine， I will have lived in more than a dozen countries， on five continents， under six assumed identities。”This suspenseful memoir covers a lot of territory。 The author grew up in an eccentric family brimming with secrets。 Cheryl Diamond--as she now calls herself-- is a brilliant storyteller。 The narrative voice in early chapters reveals a fragile innocence mixed with wry humor。 As the narrator comes of age， her point of view expands， and her emotional life and writing style mature “By the age of nine， I will have lived in more than a dozen countries， on five continents， under six assumed identities。”This suspenseful memoir covers a lot of territory。 The author grew up in an eccentric family brimming with secrets。 Cheryl Diamond--as she now calls herself-- is a brilliant storyteller。 The narrative voice in early chapters reveals a fragile innocence mixed with wry humor。 As the narrator comes of age， her point of view expands， and her emotional life and writing style mature to grapple with tough issues。 Themes include: generational trauma; PTSD; unreliable parents; family abuse; illness （Crohn’s）; elite sports competition; travel; ambition; immigration。 Scenes are skillfully wrought to reveal universal truths layered in with the author’s particular circumstances。 Whether you’re traveling near or far this summer， pack #NowhereGirl in your bag。 For fans of Eat， Pray， Love and Wild， this is a survival story like no other。 Thanks to Netgalley and Algonquin Books for an ARC。 。。。more
Diane
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In the memoir， Nowhere Girl， author Cheryl Diamond states "by the age of nine， I will have lived in more than a dozen countries， on five continents， under six assumed identies。 I know how a document is forged， how to withstand an interrogation， and the most important， how to disappear。" How can you resist that？When the book opens， four year-old Cheryl （whose given name is Bhajan）， her older brother Frank （age 14） and older sister Chiara （age 16） are traveling in an out-of-control car careening t In the memoir， Nowhere Girl， author Cheryl Diamond states "by the age of nine， I will have lived in more than a dozen countries， on five continents， under six assumed identies。 I know how a document is forged， how to withstand an interrogation， and the most important， how to disappear。" How can you resist that？When the book opens， four year-old Cheryl （whose given name is Bhajan）， her older brother Frank （age 14） and older sister Chiara （age 16） are traveling in an out-of-control car careening through the Himalayas with their parents， George and Anne。 The family are Sikh， vegetarian， and constant travelers， on the run from Interpol and their mother's father， a member of the Luxenbourg secret police。 Cheryl is not exactly sure what her father has done， it has something to do with money， but the family has to obey his three rules- always be loyal to their family， trust no one， and be a noble criminal。 It is an "unbreakable outlaw code"。Moving from country to country， the children could not make friends。 When they are in British Columbia， Chiara plans on attending college and is devastated when George gets into some trouble with an investor and tells them to pack up， they are on the move。For people who are always on the run， I found it puzzling that George encouraged Frank to join swim teams wherever they moved， becoming good enough that he would train for the Olympics。 Cheryl showed skill in gymastics， and she trained with an eye towards the Olympics as well。 Weren't they worried they would be discovered？George had an explosive temper and could be violent with his family。 He verbally and physically abused them， beating young Cheryl with a electrical cord。 He didn't speak to Frank for over a year- not a word spoken to him。 That abuse left emotional scars on all of them。As the children get older， they rebel against this lifestyle。 Eventually， Cheryl wants a passport in her real name， but the problem is that she doesn't have a legal birth certificate。 The birth certificate she has is fraudulent， and getting a passport with that would mean that she would be committing fraud。 Nowhere Girl is a crazy true story， and if it were a novel， the editor would probably tell the author to tone it down， it's too outrageous。 The family lived like kings in fancy hotels at times， and then were living in their car， homeless， at others。 They had adventures and traveled the world， but had to constantly look over their shoulder。 If you liked the books Educated and The Glass Castle， put Nowhere Girl on your list。 I highly recommend it。Thanks to Algonquin Books for putting me on Cheryl Diamond's tour。 。。。more
Taylor （TaysInfiniteThoughts）
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The title of this book is fitting because it’s about a girl that has moved around from place to place since a young age。 The title is also a big part of why I wanted to read this book。 The description captured me much like the story itself and I knew I had to read this book。I was easily felt like I was a part of this story and the journey this young girl and her family were on。 The writing was so great。 I could easily imagine everything the author was describing as if I were there myself。Through The title of this book is fitting because it’s about a girl that has moved around from place to place since a young age。 The title is also a big part of why I wanted to read this book。 The description captured me much like the story itself and I knew I had to read this book。I was easily felt like I was a part of this story and the journey this young girl and her family were on。 The writing was so great。 I could easily imagine everything the author was describing as if I were there myself。Throughout the book， there are so many emotions and you’ll only want more。Nowhere Girl is about a young girl and her family on the run。 I couldn’t imagine having to change my identity on the spot。 Nor could I imagine not being able to form bonds with people outside of my family because of the risks that come along with them。 I don’t know if I’d be able to live the way their family did。I’m a so grateful to have been a part of this blog tour and having the chance to read this book。 Thank you， Algonquin Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Laura （crofteereader）
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CW: incest， child sexual abuse， emotional abuse， verbal abuse， physical abuseThis read like fiction， which， when it comes to a memoir or true crime， is a good thing （in my opinion）。 Because the story is important and deeply personal and using language and style to make it more readable is exactly the way to keep your audience engaged， even as things get bleaker and bleaker。Diamond writes with the clear naivete of someone whose entire lived experience has been the horror within these pages， even CW: incest， child sexual abuse， emotional abuse， verbal abuse， physical abuseThis read like fiction， which， when it comes to a memoir or true crime， is a good thing （in my opinion）。 Because the story is important and deeply personal and using language and style to make it more readable is exactly the way to keep your audience engaged， even as things get bleaker and bleaker。Diamond writes with the clear naivete of someone whose entire lived experience has been the horror within these pages， even though we know that， by the time this book was written， she is no longer contained within that mindset or the situations described。 And there's so much attention brought to the iron-fisted control her father had on the family that even without coming out and saying "this is wrong" as we see the events unfold， we know that it is。Ever since reading Bad Blood and My Friend Anna， con artists have fascinated me。 But in both of those books， we see it from the outside。 With NOWHERE GIRL， Diamond draws back the curtain and invites us inside。 There's the normalization of packing up and moving your entire life with no notice， changing names and memorizing a new backstory even as a child， training for sports at the junior Olympic level all around the world （and at great expense）， manufactured competition between siblings， not being able to keep in touch with anyone from a place you've left， having no roots （either personal or legal）， working oneself into terminal illness for the sake of one's abuser。 And all of it while being a child and totally beholden to one's parents。I will say I wish there was more unpacking of the psychological consequences this lifestyle。 I assume that Diamond has， by now， gone through fairly extensive therapy， and having some of that insight， at least at the end， would have really hammered all of this home。{Thank you Algonquin Books for the ARC and finished copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own} 。。。more
Kerrimcdowell
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