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Determined and disciplined, the author’s mother was committed to becoming a doctor at a time when women didn’t go to medical school. With financial help from her grandparents, she completed medical school during WWII and then began her practice in her hometown. Shortly after, she married a military man and had a daughter. Although the airman left them, Cramer was raised by her mother in a good home and learned to value education and hard work. Her mother’s reputation in the medical field was growing, and Cramer eventually graduated college and was able to spend a year studying in Paris. She would go on to a successful interior decorating career.
Cramer met a man, and they married and started a family. However, while she was giving birth to their second son, her husband left them, saying he didn’t want children and didn’t want to be married. She was in shock and didn’t know what to do. Luckily, her mother cared for her and used tough love to get her daughter back on track. After picking herself up, Cramer dedicated herself to her sons and became a real estate agent. While working, she met a man also in real estate. When he asked her out, she refused, stating her plate was full with her sons and career. However, he persisted, and they eventually dated and married. This marriage turned out to be wonderful, and the family went on many adventures together. However, this bliss was shattered one day after a terrible car crash. The author was once again facing long odds and given only a four percent chance to survive.
Cramer’s memoir shows both her optimism and resilience. Whenever facing long odds, she leans on the lessons her mother taught her, her faith, and the circle of friends and family she has made throughout the years. This attitude is similar to that found in Maya Angelou’s memoir, as Angelou recounts the painful memories and cruelty she faced when young and how she overcame them to become a powerful poet. Cramer’s account chronicles her life, successes, and misfortunes and tells the reader how these experiences shaped not only her life but the lives of her sons. Readers clearly see the direct chain of belief in hard work and not giving up passed through generations of the family.
Memoir writing is a difficult task for authors who intend for their story to transcend the realm of their circle of acquaintances and appeal to a broader audience. Fortunately, there is a lot in Cramer’s book that will appeal to readers outside her circle. For example, her focus on overcoming obstacles and staying committed to positive character traits has universal appeal. The emphasis here is not on a particular era or society-defining event, as in Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast or Elie Wiesel’s Night. Instead, Cramer’s memoir effectively tells the story of personal triumph over tragedy in the life of someone the reader may have encountered in their daily life. Those looking for a memoir of hope rather than despair will likely find that this one fits the bill.