Combat Love

A Story of Leaving, Longing, and Searching for Home

By: Alisyn Camerota

Narrated by: Alisyn Camerota

CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota's memoir Combat Love is her story of growing up longing for stability and attachment as the foundation of her family crumbled. Set on the Jersey Shore in the free-range 1980s, Camerota finds the belonging she craves courtesy of a local punk rock band named Shrapnel and their diehard fans. Combat Love chronicles her near-misses and misadventures at clubs like CBGB and Max's Kansas City, coupled with the sex, drugs, and punk rock of 1980s New Jersey. By the time she leaves home at sixteen, it feels like home had left her long ago.

Combat Love is also the story of two women, mother and daughter, trying to forge their own paths and independence, and find their own happiness, success, and wholeness. Camerota's story searches for the line between shelter and risk, nurture and neglect, parenting and personal freedom. What are we willing to sacrifice for self-actualization and happiness? What if the answer is your mother, or your daughter?

The two-time Emmy-award-winning Camerota retraces her steps down an often gritty path toward her dream of becoming a journalist. At times heartbreaking and pulse-pounding, Combat Love is an inspiration for anyone who's ever searched for that elusive place called home.

©2024 Alisyn Camerota (P)2024 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Raw, honest

Held my attention. Surprisingly candid. Brave disclosures that give a glimpse at the person behind the public persona.

Elin recommended book

I Loved book. I didn’t know much about Alisyn prior to book but now I am a fan. Thanks for recommending, Elin.

Fantastic read.

This was a wonderful book. I appreciated the writing style and the honesty of the story. The reader was slightly dull sounding but I got used to it after - couple of chapters.

Amazing in detail. so many suprises around the corners. A documentary on growing up in the 80's. what were we thinking???

Alisyn's tumultuous memoir of trials and tribulations that welcome or not strengthened her to achieve her childhood goal of making something great out of her life. All the bases are covered of a single child and single mother issues: Relationships, moving around to much, sex, drugs, rock n roll, sacrifice and trying to save others along the way. This memoir starts in a solid concrete home with a sweet but semi dysfunctional fam to homelessness to a suburban HOME filled with a functioal family. Amazingl

Mundane story line

I found the details of middle school and high school behavior boring. Could not make my way through chapters of mundane and stupid antics to maybe get to meaningful character development and story line.

Honest and engaging.

As a person of same generation there are so many similarities in our stories. It’s truly amazing how Alisyn soldiered through it all especially since she basically raised herself. Such intellect and resilience. Worth the read.

Title Should be Shrapnel

Uncountable fragments of this book will shock and stick with you. Beautifully written you will laugh, cry, pause, reflect and relate. This book is about life’s gritty and real parts. Alisyn is so impressive as she tells her story of vulnerability, weakness, strength, grit and courage.

Could read

The honesty of the writer. Most people would be reluctant to divulge all the secrets that she did.

Heartwarming!

Alisyn Camerota is smart, but most of all authentic, funny & brave. I loved everything about this book & highly recommend it.

raw honesty 👍

I enjoy all of this book. I'm sorry I missed her years on CNN.
having spent many
years on the Jersey shore it was very easy for me to feel at home again.
a story well told 🤔