Driving with Dead People: A Memoir

by Monica Holloway

Book Overview

Small wonder that, at nine years old, Monica Holloway develops a fascination with the local funeral home. With a father who drives his Ford pickup with a Kodak movie camera sitting shotgun just in case he sees an accident, and whose home movies feature more footage of disasters than of his children, Monica is primed to become a morbid child. Yet in spite of her father's bouts of violence and abuse, her mother's selfishness and prim denial, and her...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416955127
• ISBN13: 9781416955122
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Triumph of the Human Spirit

Holloway performs the delicate balance of making you laugh hysterically, as you read about her very tragic childhood. Not easy to pull off, but she does it seamlessly. This book is so good. Once you start, it's impossible to put it down. You love the girl Monica was and the woman she becomes.

A page turner.

Driving with Dead People is the book you want for your long plane ride or a bad weather day because it will keep you turning the pages and not wanting it to end. The story is revealed in a unique way, keeping a serious subject as light as possible. This is a must read!

Dare to be so brave!

This book is a gift to all of us who want to tell the truth and share the stories that shape our lives. It is a story woven with grace and humor that clears the path for honesty that our world so desperatley needs! What would this world be like if we each dared to be so brave? It's an amazing book!

A wonderful book!

This book is a joy to read; not a thing typically said of a book about family violence and sexual abuse. Somehow Monica recalls her turbulent childhood and her struggles to reach adulthood with such grace and humor that you find yourself crying and smiling at the same time. The book is definitely sad at times, but never depressing. I loved it, and found myself loving Monica and her sister with all my heart. The hope and love and determination shown by these girls, now women, shines through! This book is a keeper!

Ride Along

Monica Holloway takes us along on the ride of her life, and it's oh-so-worth the trip. She's a fabulous story teller and she has amazing stories to tell. Some of them made me wince; some made me laugh; others made me cry. In the middle of a chaotic weekend, I stayed up into the wee hours for two nights to finish this book. My advice? Buy Driving with Dead People. Take the phone off the hook and cancel your plans. All you're going to want is more.