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American Daughter
A Memoir
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Narrated by:
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Mozhan Marno
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Written by:
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Stephanie Thornton Plymale
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Elissa Wald
About this listen
The sharp and surprising true story of a woman who finally sets out to understand her past, and the mother she had one day hoped to forget. Full of unexpected twists and unbelievable revelations, American Daughter is an immersive memoir that will have you on the edge of your seat to the very last minute.
For years, Stephanie Plymale, successful CEO and interior designer, kept her past a fiercely guarded secret. Only her husband knew that her childhood was fraught with every imaginable hardship: neglect, hunger, poverty, homelessness, truancy, foster homes, a harrowing lack of medical care, and worse. Stephanie, in turn, knew very little about the past of her mother, who was in and out of jails and psych wards for most of Stephanie's formative years. All this changed when a series of shocking revelations forced Stephanie to revisit her tortured past and revise the meaning of every aspect of her compromised childhood.
American Daughter is the extraordinary true story of a young girl growing up on the wrong side of the American Dream. Stephanie has slept in blankets on the floor of crowded apartments, lived in the back seat of a car with her siblings, and spent decades looking over her shoulder at a mother who might just as easily hug or harm her. American Daughter is at once a moving account of a troubled mother-daughter relationship and a meditation on resilience, transcendence, and ultimately, redemption.
©2021 Stephanie Thornton Plymale (P)2021 HarperCollins PublishersYou may also enjoy...
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narration didn't work for me
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Performance
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Not bad
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What listeners say about American Daughter
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- BethanieFrank
- 2025-01-27
excellent!
Terrible, compelling story that was beautifully read. I listened all day on a sick day. The equivalent of not being able to put it down.
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- Charles Sinclair
- 2023-07-10
Unforgettable read!!
Thank you for the intimate and heart wrenching memoir! It took guts to write
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- Catt
- 2023-02-15
SO Good!!
A heart breaking, honest, and beautifully woven tale ....with that completely unexpected u turn nearing the end!
Outstanding narration...I couldn't stop listening. Finished it over 2 days!!
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- Kimberly M Toffan
- 2025-01-20
The coming together of the whole story
The author did a fantastic job of sharing her own experiences, along with the experiences that shaped her mother's life. The details in which she describes each are superbly explained to really feel what each woman went through. I also love how she intertwined both stories throughout the book.
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- Jayne
- 2023-07-28
Words fail me!
I am left pondering the width and breath of an astonishing memoir which works on so many levels to remind us all what is means to be human…to look past the obvious, to show compassion and most of all to forgive and move on to make one’s own life the best it can be even in the face of such devastating, unbelievable odds. I am amazed at Stephanie’s strength. This book is the crowning jewel on a well lived life!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Souricette Sarah
- 2024-04-24
Soul ripping, gripping
This horrible story is so well built that the cruelest of things are flowing through and we just can't stop listening, tearing up yet smiling all at once. This is resilience to it's finest. Worth every minute.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-09-14
A good memoir reveals new lessons to the reader
An incredible, raw view on what it means to forgive an abusive relationship. I'm still reflecting weeks later , Bravo Stephanie
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-29
Wow
A survivor story! Very well read by the author. Thank you Stephanie for sharing your story.
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- Anna
- 2025-01-22
Heartbreaking and cycle breaking
Perseverance, and breaking the cycle when all the cards are stacked against you. This book is a beautiful story of generational trauma, healing and forgiveness.
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