My Time to Stand: A Memoir

The name Gypsy-Rose is unique, but nowadays, it is known, or at least recognized, exponentially. Gypsy-Rose Blanchard is known for the abuse she underwent while in her mother’s care, and then ultimately, playing a role in her mother’s murder in 2015. Much coverage about her past and present is available now; however, since discovering her notoriety while in prison, Gypsy-Rose felt an urgency to share her side of the good and ugly and finally take control of the narrative in My Time to Stand.

Her life consists of many puzzle pieces initially placed upside down but now effortlessly connected since finding the right way into the overall picture. Her memoir is heart-wrenching to a mother reader. I appreciated and loved that she fine-toothed through situations. She took the time to interview family members to provide a rationale, if you will, for her mother’s actions, and she included the right amount of detail for more sensitive circumstances; included are scenes of physical and sexual abuse, which is helpful for a reader to know in advance. The story is well written, making for a quick but thought-provoking read.