The Sitting Swing

I picked up and began reading The Sitting Swing with some reluctance, but only because I generally read fiction. Still, the cover was arresting, the title thought provoking, and I had heard wonderful things about Irene Watson. What a treat I had in store! Although this is a memoir, The Sitting Swing reads like quality fiction. I was immediately immersed in Irene's story of her childhood, and her fine story-telling ability and description allowed me to enter with relative ease the alien world of a childhood in a 2-room house in Canada. Born of immigrant parents, an emotionally unavailable father and an oppressive mother, Irene had none of the advantages most children her age as she entered school and began her journey to adulthood, including the facility of language. She felt like a victim, and she was; and even though she rebelled to some extent, she mostly suppressed her feelings until she had no idea who she was. I think many of us have done that to some degree. The Sitting Swing tells of Irene's discovery of that missing person, and it tells it with candor and sensitivity. I could relate on every level to her voyage of self-discovery. It was a two-box-of-Kleenex read, but it ends with a message of hope that will stay with the reader long after the book's pages have yellowed with age. I can only hope Irene will turn at least some of her energies to fiction, because what stories she can tell! Bravo, Irene! You gave us a beautiful book.

April 09, 2007 The Sitting Swing is an encouraging and inspiring story of one person's experiences of growing up that rings true for most of us who have had similar, if not the same kind of story to tell of the kind of childhood abuse that programmed us to think that we are victims who are powerless and helpless to do anything about our external circumstances. Being raised by a controlling mother and an absent father, whether it be emotionally absent or physically absent is more common than not. Few of us have been raised or treated like the children we grew up with on television's "Father Knows Best," or the "Donna Reed Show." The difference between Irene and us, however, is that she had the courage to share her reality with the world in this inspiring story, and did it in such a balanced way that both our emotional and intellectual minds can easily relate and comprehend to the kind of damage that can be done to us while growing up. What I loved the most about The Sitting Swing was that Irene Watson teaches us how we all can take power over our programmed feelings of helplessness, and with love and understanding we too can come to terms with ourselves and go on to lead happy and healthy lives. If you love a love a good ending, you will love this book! Judy Azar LeBlanc Award Winning Author Many Faces to Many Places Things My Father Never Taught Me The Compromise The Unveiling

Irene Watson's memoir tells the story of how she moved from her mother's controlling and abusive clutches to claiming ownership of her life. She encountered more than one closed door as a young child, including having to learn English as a second language; enjoying only one close friend in a small Alberta, Canada, community; wearing home-made clothing into her teen years; and suffering abuse at the hands of extended family and community members. A job acquired before she graduated from high school gave her an escape route. By 20, she married, trading her mother's management of her life for that of a loving husband. It was not until she spent a month at "Avalon" that she confronted the demons that kept her in an unhappy state of mind. This book describes her treatment experience in excruciating detail, including the final collapse of her defense mechanisms and the embrace of love as the center of her life. I recommend this book for anyone interested in improving her/his life journey. Irene Watson identifies the kinds of behaviors and personality characteristics that typically need to be examined in any human growth experience. It's a great read and carries the potential to be very helpful for anyone who wants to live a happier life.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends THE SITTING SWING as a simply told passionate telling of one person's wrestle with reality, & the consequences of her behavior patterns. While it's in dire need of a copy editor, it rang all my bells, as I love a good internal adventure, complete with a life-changing "Ahha!" & , by the way, THE SITTING SWING would never have been written had the author not had that "Ahha!" This is a memoir which begins at the end, in a recovery center, where Irene Watson has gone to "understand". What, she's not quite sure. After all, she's a highly successful dynamo, with all the accoutrements of the child of immigrants dreams: career, home, family, friends. Born into a tight-knit, Ukrainian-speaking Northern Canadian community & a family beaten down by guilt, shame & grief over the death of their first born son, Irene's world was smothered by old world immigrant culture & by her mother who kept her close to home, segregated from the new culture, & the target of aggression by male cousins, & scornful townspeople. THE SITTING SWING is a lively & frank record of one person's adventure into the realm of self-discovery, memories, responsibility for one's own life & the art of taking it back. Taking it back from forgotten childhood events & lessons that unconsciously drive us into deadends, into rages, into obsessions with control, into immoderate use of drugs & drink -- anything to soothe those dreadful pangs of helplessness, insatiability & a boring, troubled & empty future. While in dire need of a copy editor, THE SITTING SWING is a must read for anyone struggling with bad memories & a hopeless present.

The Sitting Swing is an insightful story. Ms. Watson lets you look inside her mind as she faces her childhood demons and adult struggles. With an honest voice she goes through the healing process and shows us all that it is never too late to change and never too late to heal. A well-written book that will appeal to just about anyone.