Gal: A True Life

This is one of the rawest and down to earth book that I have read since "Cupcake". It is sad, tearful and really disturbing. Most novels are full of glim and glam without any hope, but this is so realistic. I found myself in tears at time as she tells the story. I think most of us could not imagine being in "Gal" shoes and all we could do is root for her as she traveled through life. I could not imagine living and supported someone like her grandfather who was like no other. He was such a sick man and, in the end, he had to endure some suffering. I wish the editor could have cleaned up the novel by removing the double sentences although I know she was trying to allow Ruthie to tell her story in her own dialect to get the realism. There is a line from the "Lord's Prayer" that says "Forgive those who trust pass against us" and that is exactly what Gal did in order to survive. My heart went out to her at the grandfather's funeral. This is a great book to read and keep with a strong message.

Gal reads like fiction. You will cheer Ruthie on, and despise "Daddy" til the very end. It is amazing she survived not only her childhood, but the betrayal of the other members of the family. Well written. thoughtful, engaging read.

What a Story! Originally when I picked up Gal, I thought it was going to take me back to the `30s or `40s. Gosh was I surprised to find out that the author was born in 1961...she's around my age! As I read her story I was appalled and thought the atrocity of her situation shouldn't have ever happened. Where was the extended family? Why didn't someone...anyone intervene?Ruthie Bolton, aka Gal, was born in the impoverished Hungry Neck section of Charleston. Ruthie's mom was a 13-year old teenager and she never knew her father. Tired of her step-father abusing her, Ruthie's mother left home and Ruthie, and never returned to claim her. Ruthie's step-grandfather, Clovis Fleetwood, while an honorable enlisted Navy man was a mean, vicious, brutal, selfish, jealous and unloving family man. Because Fleetwood though Ruthie's grandmother was cheating on him he brutally attacked her and left her for dead while her granddaughter and children watched. Ruthie's life would be pure hell after her grandmother's death and would quickly spiral into one of poverty, abuse, neglect, humiliation, and later in her teen years include stealing, drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, and an early marriage which ended in divorce. Only after Ruthie meets her second husband, Ray Bolton, and his family will she be shown love, support, understanding and compassion. And it is then as an adult that she realized that her family and childhood were not normal.Gal is a heartwrenching but touching and poignant story. It's a story of overcoming obstacles and excelling in spite of adversity. It's a story of what one is able to accomplish when one has the love of a family. It's a story that I recommend to everyone but especially those who need the motivation to move beyond a horrible past. Ruthie's story is one of pain, humiliation, courage and ultimately love. Ruthie's life is a miracle and a triumph. Thank you Ruthie Bolton for sharing your story.

Written in the author's language, this book was extremely powerful. Her story is at once horrifying AND inspiring. You know that if she could survive everything she did, you will also make it through whatever crisis your life's challenged by at the moment. Mothers, get this book for your daughters. Daughters, get this book for your mothers. You won't regret it.The author's last line, comparing herself to the sunflower, was so beautiful, "It follows the sun." That's what she chose to do, look for the good in life instead of dwelling on her past. Bravo, Ms Bolton!

I truly enjoyed this book! I am a college student, and I hardly EVER get a time to do some recreational reading, and so when I went into a women and cheldren's bookstore, I glanced the shelves, and grabbed a book with the simplest title, "Gal". I cracked it open, and literally read it nonstop in one day. It was truly remarkably how Mrs. Bolton remembered all the events in her life, and was able to put it on paper with such frankness and honest detail. I mean, to speak of these events, up until the day she writes the book--remembering her estranged mother, relationships with relatives and men, and just riding that mental roller coaster of good times and bad times--shows courage, strength, and hope. She brought us through the times and the eras, through the changes and mindsets of life, especially in the South. All through the viewpoint of one woman. I also like the way the author seemd like an aunt or a neighbor, telling a story...not trying to use big words, not paying attention to grammar, but writing it in her style, the way she know how to get it on paper. This added flavor and personalization in a way that autobiographies rarely do. She told it like it was. Not sugar coated--when it hurt, it hurt, when she messed up, we felt her sadness, when she succeeded, we felt her joy. She was "Ruthie". And now we all know a piece of "Ruthie"...or if you prefer, "Gal". I bought this book brand-spanking new in October, and since then, I have passed this on to my mother, sister, and EVERY female friend I have. Now, it's all dog-eared and ragged, and I STILL highly recommend this for every woman pre-teen to adult, to read this and truly grasp the messages and the expereince within. I guess that's my two cents. Feel free to comment. ;)