Women Like Us: A Memoir
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- Create Date：2022-09-07 00:55:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Amanda Prowse
- ISBN：1542038812
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Summary
Amanda Prowse has built a bestselling career on the lives of fictional women。 Now she turns the pen on her own life。
I guess the first question to ask is， what kind of woman am I？ Well， you know those women who saunter into a room， immaculately coiffed and primped from head to toe？
If you look behind her， you’ll see me。
From her childhood， where there was no blueprint for success， to building a career as a bestselling novelist against all odds， Amanda Prowse explores what it means to be a woman in a world where popularity， slimness， beauty and youth are currency—and how she overcame all of that to forge her own path to happiness。
Sometimes heartbreaking， often hilarious and always entirely relatable， Prowse details her early struggles with self-esteem and how she coped with the frustrating expectations others had of how she should live。 Most poignantly， she delves into her toxic relationship with food， the hardest addiction she has ever known， and how she journeyed out the other side。
One of the most candid memoirs you’re ever likely to read， Women Like Us provides welcome insight into how it is possible—against the odds—to overcome insecurity， body consciousness and the ubiquitous imposter syndrome to find happiness and success， from a woman who’s done it all， and then some。
I guess the first question to ask is， what kind of woman am I？ Well， you know those women who saunter into a room， immaculately coiffed and primped from head to toe？
If you look behind her， you’ll see me。
From her childhood， where there was no blueprint for success， to building a career as a bestselling novelist against all odds， Amanda Prowse explores what it means to be a woman in a world where popularity， slimness， beauty and youth are currency—and how she overcame all of that to forge her own path to happiness。
Sometimes heartbreaking， often hilarious and always entirely relatable， Prowse details her early struggles with self-esteem and how she coped with the frustrating expectations others had of how she should live。 Most poignantly， she delves into her toxic relationship with food， the hardest addiction she has ever known， and how she journeyed out the other side。
One of the most candid memoirs you’re ever likely to read， Women Like Us provides welcome insight into how it is possible—against the odds—to overcome insecurity， body consciousness and the ubiquitous imposter syndrome to find happiness and success， from a woman who’s done it all， and then some。
Reviews
Diane
，
Wether it’s a story with characters from out of Mandy’s filing cabinet drawer or her own memoir she has a way with words that draws you in from page one until the end。 I read the book jointly written with Josiah which I found very honest and emotional and this book is the same。 I could completely relate to lots of things thinking oh my Mandy could be writing about me。 A very relatable book that I think I went through every different emotion whilst reading it。 It did make me smile right from the Wether it’s a story with characters from out of Mandy’s filing cabinet drawer or her own memoir she has a way with words that draws you in from page one until the end。 I read the book jointly written with Josiah which I found very honest and emotional and this book is the same。 I could completely relate to lots of things thinking oh my Mandy could be writing about me。 A very relatable book that I think I went through every different emotion whilst reading it。 It did make me smile right from the start when saying where you were born。 My eldest brother was born in that very same lying in home and I remember him being upset having a rough part of London on his birth certificate。 All much more upmarket these days lol。 Thank you Mandy for sharing your life warts and all with the world。 I for one will start to look at my day and think what good thing I might have achieved。 You are so right that we are very critical and hard on ourselves and it’s time to be kinder to ourselves and others。 A fabulous five star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Anna
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4。5This must be one of the most candidly honest memoirs I have ever read。If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:https://leftontheshelfbookblog。blogsp。。。 4。5This must be one of the most candidly honest memoirs I have ever read。If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:https://leftontheshelfbookblog。blogsp。。。 。。。more
Lucille Bransfield
，
What a great book！ I feel very much， like I know Amanda Prowse。 She really opened up about herself in a way that had me coming back to read more。 She really opened my eyes to eating disorders and made me think。 We are women and I think because of that， we unfortunately think a lot about weight。 I hope that this book encourages people to think about their choices， and maybe get to a healthier mind set as well as healthier size。 I hope her teacher reads this book and is sorry for not giving her en What a great book！ I feel very much， like I know Amanda Prowse。 She really opened up about herself in a way that had me coming back to read more。 She really opened my eyes to eating disorders and made me think。 We are women and I think because of that， we unfortunately think a lot about weight。 I hope that this book encourages people to think about their choices， and maybe get to a healthier mind set as well as healthier size。 I hope her teacher reads this book and is sorry for not giving her encouragement instead of attitude。 。。。more
Teresa Nikolic
，
I guess the first question to ask is， what kind of woman am I？ Well， you know those women who saunter into a room， immaculately coiffed and primped from head to toe？If you look behind her， you’ll see me。Amanda Prowse has had a varied career during her adult life， but she always wanted to be a writer， she loved books， immersing herself in the written word from a very young age and dreaming of the day she could put pen to paper and bring the stories she kept popping into that filing cabinet in her I guess the first question to ask is， what kind of woman am I？ Well， you know those women who saunter into a room， immaculately coiffed and primped from head to toe？If you look behind her， you’ll see me。Amanda Prowse has had a varied career during her adult life， but she always wanted to be a writer， she loved books， immersing herself in the written word from a very young age and dreaming of the day she could put pen to paper and bring the stories she kept popping into that filing cabinet in her head to life， but a throwaway comment from a teacher made her think she'd never be good enough， so she didn't write her first book till she was in her forties and in the last decade she has become a best selling author of some of the most relateable books in the world of fiction， many of the stories based on her own experiences。 Women Like Us tells us the story of her own life。I've read quite a lot of Amanda's books and am aware of some of the struggles she has faced in her own life， depicted so beautifully through her work of fiction。 The Boy Between was a true story of the issues her son Josiah faced with depression， a book they wrote together， but I wasn't aware of the constant battle she faced with food and her weight。 I'm the same age as Amanda， so many of the scenarios she describes are very relateable to me and brought back many memories of my own insecurities when I was growing up， but also memories that have made me smile， especially the trifle spoon as me and my siblings used to think the same too！！ I have experienced a myriad of emotions whilst reading her story， one minute I'd be laughing and the next I'd be crying， sometimes within the same sentence。 Amanda tells her story with brutal honesty and openness， laying herself bare and leaving no stone unturned， sharing some of her most intimate secrets with us， the readers。 This will be an eye opener to a lot of 'women like us' because it shows us that we don't have to follow others， we don't all have to look the same， dress the same， there's no such thing as the perfect figure， it's how we perceive ourselves that's important and being happy in our own skin。 I've spoken to Amanda regularly via social media over the last few years and always thought she was lovely， then recently I had the pleasure of meeting her and this lady is beautiful inside and out。 I'm so glad you ignored Mrs Blight's advice Amanda！I'd like to thank Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for inviting me to read this， I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads。 。。。more
Emma Bunting
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I have to say， this is quite possibly one of the most down to earth and relatable memoirs I’ve read！ This piece of work is done in such a honest and moving way that my heart broke in places for Amanda Prowse herself， and other “Women Like Us” who have also been on the same journeys described in this beautiful memoir。 I have always loved Amanda’s fictional books， and her other memoir with her son， Josiah Hartley （which was also extremely open and honest）， so to read about her childhood and her ea I have to say， this is quite possibly one of the most down to earth and relatable memoirs I’ve read！ This piece of work is done in such a honest and moving way that my heart broke in places for Amanda Prowse herself， and other “Women Like Us” who have also been on the same journeys described in this beautiful memoir。 I have always loved Amanda’s fictional books， and her other memoir with her son， Josiah Hartley （which was also extremely open and honest）， so to read about her childhood and her early life and how she became the fabulous author that she is， has just been amazing。 There will be so many women who will sit and read this book and will think “that’s just like me” and will hopefully enjoy this book as much as I did。 Thank you so much Amanda for sharing your story with us。 You are such a lovely lady inside and out x 。。。more
Janet
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This audio book is beautifully and emotively read by Amanda herself， as are all of her audio books。 I giggled with her， I cried big fat tears for her。 I am the same age as Amanda and so much of what she talked about I could completely relate to。 I have lived through many similar experiences。 She brought back so many memories; twin tub washing machines （my mum never got rid of hers and wheeled it through to the kitchen every week！）， tinned fruit with evaporated milk， libraries with actual library This audio book is beautifully and emotively read by Amanda herself， as are all of her audio books。 I giggled with her， I cried big fat tears for her。 I am the same age as Amanda and so much of what she talked about I could completely relate to。 I have lived through many similar experiences。 She brought back so many memories; twin tub washing machines （my mum never got rid of hers and wheeled it through to the kitchen every week！）， tinned fruit with evaporated milk， libraries with actual library cards， and visiting the library as a child and bringing all those ‘free’ books home！ Calling all the adult neighbours Auntie。 Yes we experienced a very similar childhood， right down to the teacher who told the young Amanda she would never be an author， but she used that comment in later years to prove that teacher wrong。 I just hope she is still alive to have eaten her words！ I was never told that， but I had an equally horrible junior school teacher who was nasty to me and I still remember her。Amanda opens up completely about all the ups and downs in her life， helping her readers who are facing similar struggles。 From her agony and numerous operations as a child with a crumbling pelvis， surviving cancer， through her first failed marriage， many miscarriages， issues with her weight and food addiction， dealing with a child with mental health issues， to the menopause and facing an ageing face and body with positivity。 Amanda also shares the joys in her life。 Actually having a baby against all the odds。 Finding her soul mate despite being convinced she wouldn’t bother with another partner。 The difficult journey to getting her first book published in her forties。I felt as if I was sitting across the table having a coffee with this remarkable woman。 I love that her views are so similar to mine on so many things。This is a book I would recommend every woman reads。 I would also say if you can read it on audio book do so。 I have just downloaded Amanda’s first book， Poppy Day， on audio and I can’t wait to listen to it。Very very highly recommend。 。。。more
Bianca Duthie
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Women Like Us is the most honest memoir I have ever had the pleasure of reading。 This is such an important read for anyone who has ever felt less than。This is not a self-help book， this is Amanda's real life journey and what she has learned from her years on this planet。I connected with so many parts of this and was able to reflect on the women in my life and the lessons they have taught me。 I'm still learning， every day。 How to be a better friend， wife， mother， worker。 I have only read one of A Women Like Us is the most honest memoir I have ever had the pleasure of reading。 This is such an important read for anyone who has ever felt less than。This is not a self-help book， this is Amanda's real life journey and what she has learned from her years on this planet。I connected with so many parts of this and was able to reflect on the women in my life and the lessons they have taught me。 I'm still learning， every day。 How to be a better friend， wife， mother， worker。 I have only read one of Amanda's novels before but her style in this makes me want to go and read everything she's ever written。READ THIS！ 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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I’ve read several of Prowse’s books over the last few years。 Reading her very honest memoir makes me like her even more。One paragraph in I knew the author is my kind of person。 Her story is completely relatable。 From her childhood， angsts， to her getting real about her weight。 Her excising the source of her overeating and getting a handle on it hit home with me since I did the same thing a year ago and am the better for it。I admire her strength and honesty as I think many other readers will too。 I’ve read several of Prowse’s books over the last few years。 Reading her very honest memoir makes me like her even more。One paragraph in I knew the author is my kind of person。 Her story is completely relatable。 From her childhood， angsts， to her getting real about her weight。 Her excising the source of her overeating and getting a handle on it hit home with me since I did the same thing a year ago and am the better for it。I admire her strength and honesty as I think many other readers will too。 She writes great books and is an ordinary gal trying to live her best life。Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the early read。 。。。more
J
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I have read quite a few of her books， and this book was a surprise。 As I read it， I could see myself in quite a few places。 Reading her story， I kept thinking if she can do this， then this will help me。 I have always been clumsy， overweight， lacked self-confidence， and used to food as the answer。The day came when she decided she had to pull the band-aid off， and take time to figure things out。 I have felt that way many times， but felt I was all alone， and it was easier to just stop looking in mi I have read quite a few of her books， and this book was a surprise。 As I read it， I could see myself in quite a few places。 Reading her story， I kept thinking if she can do this， then this will help me。 I have always been clumsy， overweight， lacked self-confidence， and used to food as the answer。The day came when she decided she had to pull the band-aid off， and take time to figure things out。 I have felt that way many times， but felt I was all alone， and it was easier to just stop looking in mirrors。 I had decided that I had to confront myself， and what I was doing。 Along came this book， and it was just what I needed to read。 I will have to do the work to change， but this book about her journey， is making it easier。 She has been through so much， and writing her story had to be so hard。 I cried， sometimes I felt joy with her successes， and thankful that she had the courage to tell it。 So many women will see some of them in her story。 I could feel the pain， the emotions， the doubt， the things she tried to make it better。 She laid it all out with honesty and feeling。 Women Like Us， yes， there are a lot of women like us。I received an ARC from Little A through NetGalley。 。。。more
Maureen （ NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS）
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Amanda Prowse is a real life best selling author， who on the surface， is successful and happy， giving off an air of self confidence and control， but who is the person that actually lives behind that facade？ Well we’re about to find out， and kudos to Amanda for laying bare her whole life for us， as she explains how she uses food as a coping mechanism， a secret friend。 It’s heartbreaking， （almost gut wrenching at times） it’s also amusing though， particularly as Amanda’s arse takes centre stage， qu Amanda Prowse is a real life best selling author， who on the surface， is successful and happy， giving off an air of self confidence and control， but who is the person that actually lives behind that facade？ Well we’re about to find out， and kudos to Amanda for laying bare her whole life for us， as she explains how she uses food as a coping mechanism， a secret friend。 It’s heartbreaking， （almost gut wrenching at times） it’s also amusing though， particularly as Amanda’s arse takes centre stage， quite literally as a child！ Above all though it’s inspiring。We live in a world where， how others perceive us and the way we live our lives impacts on the way we feel about ourselves， making us mostly insecure。 Amanda finally （after many years and much soul searching） overcame that pressure。 It wasn’t easy， and it meant facing some difficult conversations with loved ones， things that had been left unsaid for far too long。The real message here is that the ones who matter the most， those who love us for what and who we are as a person， will love us unconditionally no matter what， but that doesn’t stop them worrying about what we’re doing to ourselves - to our body， to our health in an effort to shut out what we don’t want to face - after all， they want us to stay on this mortal coil for as long as possible。 A very interesting and inspirational read！*Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review * 。。。more
Cheryl M-M
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I thought it was interesting how Amanda simultaneously gives the reader， the audience， this trifecta of reasoning and emotion that pings off itself。 Acknowledging the truth of her family， upbringing and all the nuances of the working class background and feeling the societal guilt the world （very much a British thing， sorry） forces into our very psyche at the same time。 You’re supposed to feel inferior and as if those around you are too。 Somehow feel ashamed for who you are。When you take that in I thought it was interesting how Amanda simultaneously gives the reader， the audience， this trifecta of reasoning and emotion that pings off itself。 Acknowledging the truth of her family， upbringing and all the nuances of the working class background and feeling the societal guilt the world （very much a British thing， sorry） forces into our very psyche at the same time。 You’re supposed to feel inferior and as if those around you are too。 Somehow feel ashamed for who you are。When you take that invisible burden and it is weighed down by layers of remarks and what people like to refer to as banter， however the way the target receives it can be completely different。 In this case it has created a foundation of almost self-loathing and doubt， which leads to seeking comfort in external sources。It’s a frank and open dialogue about herself and her life， one that is a rollercoaster of emotions。 As a reader you go on that ride and often find correlation in situations， thoughts and experiences。 It’s brave to open yourself up in such a way， even if it is a self-examination of sorts。 It’s definitely an audiobook I would recommend to others。On a side note – the author narrates the story herself and does so extremely well， but what I wanted to mentioned is what a perfect voice for audio she has – deliciously soothing with a hint of sultry。 Combined with her story， which I think most women will be able to relate to in one way or another， it makes it such an easy listening experience。 。。。more
Michele Young
，
I have read many of Amanda Prowse’s books， and have loved many of them， often shutting myself away to read the end because I know I will be a weeping heap！ I enjoyed the first part of the book， learning about the strong women in her family and her hardworking father who had higher aspirations for his family， meaning they often moved house， causing her to leave friends behind regularly。 I felt for her when she had her many operations and the pain she must have gone through， as well as her many mi I have read many of Amanda Prowse’s books， and have loved many of them， often shutting myself away to read the end because I know I will be a weeping heap！ I enjoyed the first part of the book， learning about the strong women in her family and her hardworking father who had higher aspirations for his family， meaning they often moved house， causing her to leave friends behind regularly。 I felt for her when she had her many operations and the pain she must have gone through， as well as her many miscarriages and the near loss of her son。 After this， the book only focuses on Amanda’s eating disorder and her depression because of her weight。 This continues until the end， where Amanda finally understands why she eats to excess and how she can change her eating habits and thinking habits。 If the book had a description or title which let the reader know that the book was mainly a journey to Amanda’s acceptance of her weight and appearance， I would probably not have chosen to read it。 It is a very personal journey for Amanda to share， and I wish her every success with her new way of life。 。。。more
Robin
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Amanda Prowse， Women Like Us A Memoir， Lionhead Media Ltd 2022。Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review。 The bulk of this memoir is aimed at highlighting the eating disorders that can impact so negatively on any woman’s life， including that of someone as high profile， successful and thoroughly charming a person as Amanda Prowse appears throughout this book。 I think that women who are like the ‘Us’ referred to in the title， presumably those with eating disorders Amanda Prowse， Women Like Us A Memoir， Lionhead Media Ltd 2022。Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review。 The bulk of this memoir is aimed at highlighting the eating disorders that can impact so negatively on any woman’s life， including that of someone as high profile， successful and thoroughly charming a person as Amanda Prowse appears throughout this book。 I think that women who are like the ‘Us’ referred to in the title， presumably those with eating disorders， will find this a profound journey through the possibilities that stimulate the disorder， to the trials of coping with the experiences Prowse describes， and the optimism that she shows in having moved so slowly and so distressingly to a solution。 To other women， those so fortunately not suffering as Prowse and so many women do， do think of yourselves as part of the ‘Us’。 After all， some of the distressing behaviour Prowse describes being meted out to her， could be the behaviour of some of the less understanding of ‘us’; it could apply to other disorders – from addiction， to being the brunt of unthinking criticism for behaviour over which a woman might have little control。 That being said， I have to acknowledge that I would have liked a little broader look at Prowse’s life， with more discussion of her books， and her experiences of writing and publishing them。The beginning of the book fulfilled my hope of a broader memoir so well。 We read of Amanda’s childhood in a large extended family， living in the east of London， at an address that has become more fashionable as time has progressed。 Her delight in joining her local library and being able to borrow armfuls of books; her recognition that someone had written them， and that she would also like to write stories; the warmth of her family; and her father’s successful career。 Not so happily， we hear about her experiences with negativity – comments on her body shape， the possibility that she would write derided by a particularly insensitive teacher; the moves from various houses to new ones， and necessity to make new school friends; her absolute love and commitment to her mother but not to her lifestyle – Amanda wanted to be able to walk out the door to the other sort of life， the one her father lived。 There are also intriguing comments on her mental filing system for the events and feelings that were to be written as future bestsellers: her determination to write was not undermined by anyone else’s opinion that she might not。In her first few pages Prowse deals with her consciousness of herself as being the antithesis of a woman of glamour and perfection。 She sees herself as the woman following， wearing clothing to hide her figure。 Prowse is heart-warmingly honest about what she sees as her imperfections。 However， she quickly lets us into her life as a would-be writer， member of a large family， and later， a happy wife and mother， and a writer。 My general disappointment that her writing was not expanded upon could well be misplaced。 As I read， I realised that this is a memoir that places Prowse’s eating disorder at its heart。 However， one of her novels does take up this issue， and I would have liked to see it given a role as an example of the way in which Prowse uses the ideas she put into an imaginary filing system for use in her fiction。 The Food of Love would have been an ideal way to describe how writing became the outlet as a fictionalised version of Prowse’s dilemmas around food and shape。 It is a strong novel， and I would have been thrilled to see it used as an example of how Prowse brings events， ideas and feelings into published fiction。I found Women Like Us A Memoir an instructive and fascinating read， without being enthralling。 。。。more
Sarah
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I’ve been a huge fan of this author’s for a while now。 She could probably write a shopping list and I would still devour it and love it。 I just love her writing。 I was very exciting to read her memoir and to find out more about her。Amanda goes through her childhood all the way up to the present day。 There is nothing that she doesn’t talk about and I can imagine how hard sharing some parts of her life must have been。 A big part of her personal story is her battle with her weight。 I have to say， a I’ve been a huge fan of this author’s for a while now。 She could probably write a shopping list and I would still devour it and love it。 I just love her writing。 I was very exciting to read her memoir and to find out more about her。Amanda goes through her childhood all the way up to the present day。 There is nothing that she doesn’t talk about and I can imagine how hard sharing some parts of her life must have been。 A big part of her personal story is her battle with her weight。 I have to say， and I am sure that many readers will probably feel the same， it felt like she was talking of my own personal battle with food。 I could wholly relate to the hiding food， eating food whilst either waiting for the takeaway to come or whilst tea was cooking。 Every since my early teens I have been at war with my weight and food so this part totally resonated with me。The author also shares a dark time in her life about her miscarriages and I found this part particularly emotional。 Even though I haven’t been through this experience myself， I was heartbroken for Amanda and wanted to give her a great big hug。 I was that caught up with her own experiences that I hadn’t even realised I’d been crying。 Whilst there is also mention of Josh， Amanda’s son， and his own dark time with depression， these are only small。 If like me you are a fan， of course you will have read about this time in their life in The Boy Between。 If you haven’t yet read it， then I highly recommend it。Women Like Us is a poignant and moving memoir。 I feel privileged that the author has opened up about her own personal experiences and shared them。 In some ways I found it quite therapeutic and I love how Amanda opens up not just about her battle with her weight but in her appearance also。 There isn’t one person reading this book that won’t be able to relate to some of what the author has gone through and it reminded me that we are not on our own when it comes to feeling insecure。 An emotional and thought provoking read！My thanks to Kelly at Love Book Tours for the invite to be part of the tour。 All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway。 。。。more
Roz
，
What a fabulous and gritty read this is by the wonder author Amanda Prowse。 The author is bravely telling us the story of her life， every high and low in full and frank detail and it has me laughing and crying with her from the start。It is an incredibly brave and honest account of her life and her issues with her health， relationships and food which I found to be informative and heartbreaking all at the same time。I would highly recommend this book and will definitely reread it again in the futur What a fabulous and gritty read this is by the wonder author Amanda Prowse。 The author is bravely telling us the story of her life， every high and low in full and frank detail and it has me laughing and crying with her from the start。It is an incredibly brave and honest account of her life and her issues with her health， relationships and food which I found to be informative and heartbreaking all at the same time。I would highly recommend this book and will definitely reread it again in the future as it is full of really amazing advice， sensible grounding words and most of all hope。Thank you to Netgalley， the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jen
，
Amanda Prowse is an author whose work I am aware of。 I have some of her books on my TBR list but， to my embarrassment， I’ve not yet read them。 But when it came to this audiobook tour， I admit I was intrigued。 With such a successful career behind， and not doubt still in front of her， having the chance to learn a bit more about the woman behind the stories definitely appealed。 Whether you are a long time fan of her writing， a woman just navigating life， or even dare I suggest， a man trying to b Amanda Prowse is an author whose work I am aware of。 I have some of her books on my TBR list but， to my embarrassment， I’ve not yet read them。 But when it came to this audiobook tour， I admit I was intrigued。 With such a successful career behind， and not doubt still in front of her， having the chance to learn a bit more about the woman behind the stories definitely appealed。 Whether you are a long time fan of her writing， a woman just navigating life， or even dare I suggest， a man trying to better understand the fears of the women in your life， this is a book I think everyone should read。 So much of this book I think you will either relate to or， at the very least， recognise in the faces and actions of the people you love。 Because Amanda Prowse’s searingly and often emotionally honest memoir taps into some of the many feelings， concerns and moments of self doubt that I am certain many of us have suffered over our lives。 Too many。 Taking listeners （and readers） from her early childhood years， growing in the circle of a wonderful family and some very strong matriarchal influences， through awkward teenage years that were blighted by health challenges （an understatement） and darker moments that were to shape her future self， she guides us through a life which is beset with successes， failures， love， loss and a constant， overwhelming sense of self-doubt and self loathing as she tried to find her perfect self， and largely succeeding in losing exactly that which she sought along the way。 It’s fair to say that Amanda Prowse has lived a rollercoaster existence and she brings this to life on the page in a narrative that really did speak to me， especially when she spoke of the struggle she had to conquer her weight and the body image problems she had suffered over the years。 From starving herself in her teenage years， to the self-destructive over-eating that dominated her middle-age， post menopausal years， body-image， that constant， incessant， media fuelled utopia of the ‘perfect body’， informed her life in a way that almost destroyed it。 I can relate。 I may not have been through many of the challenges that the author has experienced， a broken marriage and the painful loss of successive miscarriages。 I haven’t been in the position to know that kind of pain。 But a childhood of being told I was ugly， became that self fulfilling prophecy of overeating， hiding behind being fat as a way to avoid people as ‘no-one wants to befriend the fatty。’ Everything that Amanda Prowse relays in this book， I could understand， the only difference being that she has her husband and that unconditional love of her family， something I’ve actively avoided。 I think everyone needs a Simeon in their life。 Not that the love of another is the be all and end all， but that unconditional support and understanding certainly helps on the road to accepting who you are。 There won’t be a single woman out there who won’t have stopped and looked in a mirror and wanted to be better， thinner， taller， prettier。 Amanda Prowse captures that feeling in these pages， and in narrating the story herself gives it a weight （no pun intended） and emotional heart that really hits home。 The book serves not necessarily as an answer to that eternal question ‘how can I be a better me’ but certainly， for those of us where weight yo-yos， both high and low， it certainly gives food for thought and a reminder that you are not alone。 Nobody is perfect。 And really， who would want to be？ Amanda Prowse has captured all of those imperfections， the self-criticism， anxiety and apprehension that forms a backdrop to too many of our lives。 She acknowledges that obesity is every bit as much a mental health issue as anorexia or bulimia， and opens up the subject for discussion with a brutal self exploration and total honesty regaring her battle with her weight， and reminds us all that is is okay to be perfectly imperfect。 A powerful and memorable read。 。。。more
Diane Merritt
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I love this author and reading about her life was spellbounding。 Such a fantastic book。 Thanks to the author， the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book
Reading_ Tamishly
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This memoir got really close to my heart as I was able to relate to the author's family when she was growing up， got so crazy about books and reading， how the experiences and the people we meet during our developmental stages leave an impact on us for the rest of our lives。Thank you， Amazon Publishing UK， for the advance reading copy。I feel the writing is really， really awesome。 It's brilliant。 Of course， coming from a bestselling author it's meant to be。 Easier said than done， the author might This memoir got really close to my heart as I was able to relate to the author's family when she was growing up， got so crazy about books and reading， how the experiences and the people we meet during our developmental stages leave an impact on us for the rest of our lives。Thank you， Amazon Publishing UK， for the advance reading copy。I feel the writing is really， really awesome。 It's brilliant。 Of course， coming from a bestselling author it's meant to be。 Easier said than done， the author might say！ At times I laughed out loud。 The surgery YEEEEEEHAAAAA！ will stay with me you know！But most of the times， I was in love with everything else the author has to tell about her life as if it's someone else's story all over again。Reading such memoirs gave me a lot to think about but I came to realise that even though we humans are miles apart， our lives are interconnected through similar experiences and the things we feel and go through。Read this book。 You will love it much more than any fiction。 。。。more
Read Fine Books
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Reading this， I found an ordinary woman， with the same concerns I had growing up - "I hate my body"， "I am not good enough"， "I can't do that"。 These are her thoughts， these are all our thoughts， always。 I found that sad， because， with every struggle， with every lesson， Amanda Prowse proves she is not only good enough， she is great。 Keep reading on my blog: https://readfinebooks。com/2022/08/26/。。。 Reading this， I found an ordinary woman， with the same concerns I had growing up - "I hate my body"， "I am not good enough"， "I can't do that"。 These are her thoughts， these are all our thoughts， always。 I found that sad， because， with every struggle， with every lesson， Amanda Prowse proves she is not only good enough， she is great。 Keep reading on my blog: https://readfinebooks。com/2022/08/26/。。。 。。。more
Susanne Baker
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Oh my goodness， I loved Amanda Prowse before reading this， and now I’m in awe even more now I have read her own story！ Such a strong woman！ Her emotional based books show how emphatic she is and now I can see why。 Brutally honest， you can imagine how she can create the family dramas by looking at her own life。 So uplifting too， you really feel that you have had a glimpse of her and understand her processes with her writing。 Just amazing
Tea Leaves and Reads
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Amanda’s professional career as a writer has been achieved only in the last decade。 Yet the millions of copies sold， the titles she has published， the stories she has shared… feel like they’ve been around forever。 Her memoir brings her writing life， trials and celebrations， together in the pages of one book。 But it also brings something else。 Amanda’s lifetime to date。You may think you know Amanda from the stories that she writes， because of the realities that she chooses to write into fiction， Amanda’s professional career as a writer has been achieved only in the last decade。 Yet the millions of copies sold， the titles she has published， the stories she has shared… feel like they’ve been around forever。 Her memoir brings her writing life， trials and celebrations， together in the pages of one book。 But it also brings something else。 Amanda’s lifetime to date。You may think you know Amanda from the stories that she writes， because of the realities that she chooses to write into fiction， often inspired by her own experiences。 You may think that you know Amanda because of the memoir that she co-wrote with her son， a beautiful， honest book， that has helped so many people。 These are only fractions of Amanda Prowse， though， and this book… this book is everything else。 Everything in between。 The anguish behind that beautiful smile， the fear behind those wonderfully written words。 Everything that hides behind the brave expression is laid bare in this book and you will laugh。 And you will cry。 And， at points， maybe one or maybe a hundred， you’ll say， ‘Me too。’There are pieces of thousands of us within the pages of Amanda’s book， but never has someone so honestly and openly written them all down like this。 It’s raw， it’s real and it is emotional。 It is a woman， like us。 。。。more
Rachel - reallyslowreader
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Amanda Prowse is such a well known author so when I saw this book on netgalley read now section， I had to get it！ My initial hope for this book was that it would give me some insight into how she got into writing as I’m fascinated by how authors come up with so many fantastic ideas and how they are disciplined enough to write it all out。Amanda talks about how a teacher reacted negatively to her expressing she would like to write and I love that， even though she has held onto it， she doesn’t seem Amanda Prowse is such a well known author so when I saw this book on netgalley read now section， I had to get it！ My initial hope for this book was that it would give me some insight into how she got into writing as I’m fascinated by how authors come up with so many fantastic ideas and how they are disciplined enough to write it all out。Amanda talks about how a teacher reacted negatively to her expressing she would like to write and I love that， even though she has held onto it， she doesn’t seem to be bitter， just matter of fact knowing what she has now achieved。 She has had to deal with a lot throughout her life， but one of the biggest things she’s talks about is her relationship with food and her body and how she has overcome it。 Although I felt some of this could have been condensed a little （I skipped a few pages） i do believe this may help a lot of people who could relate to her and for that reason I would definitely recommend it。 。。。more
Lorraine Joad
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It was great to have an insight to Amanda’s life which confirms we are all different but have so many things in common as women。 I have read Amanda Prowse novels and this book was equally as good。 I think many women will engage with topics that are covered in this book。 A great read！Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review。
Nancy Ahyee
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See my full review of this title on my blog: Books Under the Blanket （with a flashlight）: https://booksundertheblanket。com/what。。。Live Sep 18， 2022 See my full review of this title on my blog: Books Under the Blanket （with a flashlight）: https://booksundertheblanket。com/what。。。Live Sep 18， 2022 。。。more
Carolyn
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As a woman of similar age this rang so many bells with me， it's rare to read a memoir so life affirming。Beautifully written， this is a book for fans of Amanda Prowse or those yet to read one of her novels。 Anyone who has battled body image， eating difficulties， self esteem problems， and there can't be many of us that haven't， will get something out of this， including a sense of recognition。Highly recommended。 As a woman of similar age this rang so many bells with me， it's rare to read a memoir so life affirming。Beautifully written， this is a book for fans of Amanda Prowse or those yet to read one of her novels。 Anyone who has battled body image， eating difficulties， self esteem problems， and there can't be many of us that haven't， will get something out of this， including a sense of recognition。Highly recommended。 。。。more
Kirsty Blackburn
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Received as an advanced copy from NetGalley to read。 Thank you。I feel like this memoir （mostly） could have been written about me。 Constantly worrying about weight is something I found heartbreakingly relatable。 I found it touching to be able to share this journey with Amanda and her family。 It really is a heart wrenching look into the world of eating disorders， pain， and everything else in between。 Must read for anyone who is a fan of memoirs。 Amanda’s words will resonate for a long time after y Received as an advanced copy from NetGalley to read。 Thank you。I feel like this memoir （mostly） could have been written about me。 Constantly worrying about weight is something I found heartbreakingly relatable。 I found it touching to be able to share this journey with Amanda and her family。 It really is a heart wrenching look into the world of eating disorders， pain， and everything else in between。 Must read for anyone who is a fan of memoirs。 Amanda’s words will resonate for a long time after you read the last page。 。。。more
Karen Farrow
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What a truly wonderful， heartbreaking， emotional， life affirming， funny and truly soul bearing book from one of my favourite authors！ I only found Amanda Prowse in 2015 and since then have devoured every single book of hers as soon as they are published。 She writes with such insight into normal lives dealing with extraordinary situations that I was intrigued to see how her autobiography fared， it certainly did not disappoint。 Mrs Prowse is only a year older than me and her life and mine have som What a truly wonderful， heartbreaking， emotional， life affirming， funny and truly soul bearing book from one of my favourite authors！ I only found Amanda Prowse in 2015 and since then have devoured every single book of hers as soon as they are published。 She writes with such insight into normal lives dealing with extraordinary situations that I was intrigued to see how her autobiography fared， it certainly did not disappoint。 Mrs Prowse is only a year older than me and her life and mine have some similarities， although I do not have her gift of words！ This book only served to cement that I think she has a camera peering into my mind！ The book was amusing and heartbreaking， sometimes in the same sentence but I could not put it down。 It had me crying with sadness and crying with happiness， so I suggest anyone of a similar age keeps the tissues handy！ After every book of hers I read， I wonder how she is going to top it and I really don’t know how she will top this wonderful window into her life。 。。。more
Julia Burk-dunahoo
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In what had to be a giant leap of faith， Amanda Prowse gives us a complete window into her life。 In her memoir she gives us all a compete look at the bare bones， from her early struggles with insecurity， of not being enough and her ongoing health issues that went undiscovered for years and then took years to repair and correct。 An open and honest account， the good， the bad and the ugly。 As always， many thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
Jacqueline
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Loved this， getting to know the person behind the many much loved novels I have enjoyed over the years。 I know a fair bit about Amanda Prowse， having been such an avid fan for so long， but to read about her childhood， her family & upbringing， just puts the jigsaw together and a wonderful insight into what makes her who she is！ I found it sad at times， what she had to go through and what she suffered in terms of her self esteem， mostly brought on by the media and how she sees herself。 I hope she Loved this， getting to know the person behind the many much loved novels I have enjoyed over the years。 I know a fair bit about Amanda Prowse， having been such an avid fan for so long， but to read about her childhood， her family & upbringing， just puts the jigsaw together and a wonderful insight into what makes her who she is！ I found it sad at times， what she had to go through and what she suffered in terms of her self esteem， mostly brought on by the media and how she sees herself。 I hope she knows how much of a truly wonderful person she is， how special and caring。 She really is a ‘what you see is what you get’ person and you can’t help but love her for it！ Keep doing what you do， you make the world a nicer place knowing we have the escapism of your books :） 。。。more
Shari Bull
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Every self-conscious self-doubting woman should read this book。 Within a few pages I recognised myself in Amanda Prowse’s story， and the title ‘Woman like Us’ made absolute sense。 An open and honest account of a fifty-somethings life; the marvellously mundane， the love， the pain， the passion and the self-sabotage。 Her journey to self-acceptance is inspiring， her exhortation to ‘trust the process’ one I hope to follow。 #WLU
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Women Like Us: A Memoir
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Women Like Us: A Memoir&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft