American Daughter

A Memoir

By: Stephanie Thornton Plymale, Elissa Wald

Narrated by: Mozhan Marno

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

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 Publishers

Amazing story, beautifully written

What a tale of resilience, of sadness without a tinge of anger or pity. The ending was one of the best I’ve read or listened to in a long time.

Another great crazy childhood bio

If you liked Glass Castle and Educated you’ll like this one too. I’m always so fascinated by these types of biographies. I thought this book was going to be exactly like Glass Castle, in a way it is, but also so much different. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this book (I needed a break from my typical psychological thriller).

very engaging

I was spellbound from the beginning. It really enforces "don't judge a book by it's cover". You really don't know what someone has lived through and how it affects them. A must read for Social Worker, law enforcement. and anyone in the judicial system. You will learn that you can do "more".

Emotionally engaging from start to finish

I was surprised to be as thoroughly attentive to this book as I was. The reader reads as if it is her own story. A terrific audiobook.

Great book!

Very engaging story. Tragic yet uplifting. A wild ride from beginning to end. Shows the destructivness of trauma and abuse but also the power of love and forgiveness. Performance excellent. Absolutely would recommend.

I believe this is my favorite ever

just listen! there is too much to say about this book. I can't imagine anyone not being touched.

A Haunting and Beautifully Written Memoir

From the first scene of this memoir through the final words, I was immersed in Stephanie's story.Throughout this memoir, I felt like I was listening to beautifully written, poignant novel. Ms. Thorton Plymale and her siblings endured horrific trauma after trauma. They were failed time and again by their mother, who was trapped in her own prison of unresolved childhood trauma, and by the foster-care system. From free-spirited hippie culture, to a foster home that was beautiful on the surface, but pure evil behind closed doors, to a bus by the beach that was its own fairytale-like haven upon entering, I was invested in this story. The glimpse into the author's interior design business and process, was a wonderful surprise which I thoroughly enjoyed. I appreciated Stephanie's honesty about the struggles in her marriage, and with perfectionism, which is anxiety's high-achieving mask. For anyone who has a complicated relationship with their mother, or a family plagued with substance abuse, trauma, and mental illness, this book is for you. If you simply enjoy stories of survival, grit, resilience and forgiveness, this story is for you as well. I highly recommend listening to this book, but please take care. There are stories of child abuse and neglect throughout the book, that will be difficult to hear.

As an added bonus, Mozhan Marno's beautiful narration added to the immersive experience of the audio book. She was the perfect choice for this story.

Loved it!!!

Well written, narration well done. Couldn't help but realize that there are many children in the world today with stories to tell. Amazing story. It would be a recommended read in my library.

Absolutely Amazing!!

This was amazingly written . I loved it, this story is absolutely powerful and gripping clean till the end.I highly recommend listening to this book..

A journey of circumstances

Such a story… I loved the narration and the truth of such a life/lives of people who literally walk amongst us.
Sorrow, bravery, strength, stupidity, I could go on and on, all touching when threaded together in this story. Thank you Stephanie Thornton Plymale and Elissa Wald for giving this book to the world