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Leaving Breezy Street
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
11 posts | 6 read | 9 to read
Belonging on the shelf with Jeannette Wallss The Glass Castle and Ishmael Beahs A Long Way Gone, Leaving Breezy Streetthe stunning account of Brenda Myers-Powells brutal and beautiful lifeis a critical addition to the American canon. Fourteen years old, poor, Black, mother dead, two babies to feed and clothe, and a grandmother who is not full of motherly kindness, to put it mildly. What money-making options are open to a girl like Brenda Myers? When Breezy, as she came to call herself, hit the streets of Chicago as a prostitute in 1973 she was barely a teenager. But she was pretty and funny as hell, and determined to support her daughters and make a living. For the next twenty-five years, she moved across the country, finding new pimps, parties, drugs, and endless, profound heartache. And she alsoastonishinglymanaged to find the strength to break from a brutal world and not only save herself but save future Breezys. Great, compelling memoirs can bring us into worlds that have been beyond our comprehension and make us get it. What these books tell us is NOT that we can all move beyond the lives into which we were born. The lesson is that everyone deserves to be truly seen by others and offered a path forward.
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Chelsea.Poole
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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Pickpick

Brenda‘s been through it!! She‘s here to tell her life story of being raised by her grandmother with relatives and a revolving cast of characters in and out of her childhood. One of which molested her when she was just 4 years old. She‘s ultimately caught up in life on the streets as prostitution becomes her way of life. Though incredibly tough topics, Brenda tells her story with brutal honesty and even, at times, a humorous tone.

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TiredLibrarian
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

1. These 2 are tied for my best reads of August. Very different from each other, and I really enjoyed them both.

2. Not sure yet; I doubt it. I like to be able to read what I want, when I want, and not feel obligated. I'm not a good book group member for the same reason 😕

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 🤩📖📚 3y
23 likes1 comment
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TiredLibrarian
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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Pickpick

Wow. A riveting read, but also very difficult given the subject matter. Kudos to the author for surviving "the life", cleaning up and getting out, and using her experience to try to help other women. #nonfiction #memoir

DGRachel She attended an online book club meeting for my local indie earlier this month and is just such a fun person. She has joy and energy for days! 3y
TiredLibrarian @DGRachel That's so cool! I'd love to hear her speak. I was amazed that she had such spirit and sense of humor after all she'd been through.
3y
39 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TiredLibrarian
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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Started this today and am about halfway through. Couldn't put it down, which I will probably regret tomorrow AM 😕😊 #nonfiction #memoir

Megabooks This is good but heavy! 3y
TiredLibrarian @Megabooks Yes; didn't realize what I was getting into until I was already hooked!
3y
39 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
Megabooks
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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Like @Cinfhen said, this is brutal. Brenda pulls no punches when talking about the years she spent as a prostitute and the abuse and molestation that led her to it at age 14. 😢 Brenda says she became addicted to “the life” where highs meant fancy clothes and celeb-filled parties but the lows were abuse, rape, arrest, and addiction. Her story is cautionary but hopeful since she now spends her like helping other young women escape the cycle.

Cinfhen Definitely a cautionary tale but what an inspiration!!! And for such a horrific story I found myself laughing out loud several times. 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen totally agree with your assessment! She has a remarkably good attitude for all she‘s been through! 3y
70 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Megabooks
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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I may not have gotten any new releases tonight, but I was happy to get these two memoirs today! I‘m starting the tagged one. #MemoirGal

I think my sinus infection has turned into a cold, so not super excited about that. 👎🏻🤒

Cinfhen Leaving Breezy Street was BRUTAL but I couldn‘t stop!! I LOVED IT - and I just posted about the other book!!! @TrishB bought it for me ❣️❣️❣️ 3y
Cinfhen Sorry you have a cold 🤧 feel better xx 3y
Trashcanman How's your pops? 3y
See All 26 Comments
Trashcanman Feel better soon ❤ 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen oh fantastic!! Just sent you an email about your birthday package. I got an email in Hebrew about it and am unsure whether to follow the link. 3y
Megabooks @Cinfhen @Trashcanman thank you both!! Just feeling like I do when I catch a virus. 👎🏻👎🏻 3y
Cinfhen Just responded to the email xxx THANK YOU 😘 3y
Megabooks @Trashcanman dad is about to get Botox in his arm to deal with spasticity. Hopefully that will help in improving that area. He‘s also going to get approved for driving in July, so hopefully it will be a good month. Thanks for asking!! (edited) 3y
Trashcanman @Megabooks wish him the best!! 3y
Megabooks @Trashcanman thank you friend!! How are you? 💜 3y
Trashcanman @Megabooks You know, hanging in there. Still breathing. Trying every day to be grateful, but it's hard for me. The ideation has lessoned so that's good. Thank you for asking. 3y
Megabooks @Trashcanman I‘m very glad you are alive today!! 💕 I‘m also happy the ideation has lessened because I know how debilitating that can be. I hope you continue to have an upward trajectory. I‘m rooting for you!! 🤗 3y
BarbaraBB You have a cold? While it‘s so hot in KY? That sucks. Take care ❤️ 3y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB thank you!! 💕 I used to get what we call “summer colds” a lot when I was younger because of my allergies, but I haven‘t had one in years. I had a particularly hard time with allergies in spring, and it doesn‘t seem to be letting up! 😕 3y
BarbaraBB That is annoying. It‘s a hard year for spring allergies, Robin still has them too. ❤️ 3y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB oh I‘m sorry! They suck! Here it was just the right amount of rainfall in the spring to make the plants really pollen-heavy. I hope Robin doesn‘t have any serious problems. 💜 3y
Cathythoughts It IS a hard year for spring/summer for allergies 🙄 so annoying.. they should leave us readers alone .. Hope you feel better 3y
Megabooks @Cathythoughts it IS just so frustrating and annoying. 👎🏻 I‘m generally not a fan of being sick!! I‘m sorry if you have them as well. 😕 3y
Cathythoughts Thanks.. I get the burning eyes & sinus , headache .. hard to read then .. I‘m over my last spell of it now though 🤞🏻…I hope you feel better soon 3y
Megabooks @Cathythoughts thank you Cathy! 😘 3y
BarbaraBB No she takes anti allergic medicine whenever it gets too much but that isn‘t too often fortunately. I hope you feel better soon! 3y
batsy Feel better soon! 3y
youneverarrived Feel better soon ♥️ 3y
Centique Sinus infections suck! I hope you get better fast 💕🤞 3y
Megabooks @Centique thank you dear friend. I am just at loose ends in bed today! 👎🏻🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y
77 likes26 comments
review
Addison_Reads
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #LittenListen @aperfectmjk #NetGalley

Leaving Breezy Street was definitely not an easy read, but despite the heavy subject matter, I thoroughly enjoyed it. What Brenda went through in her life was heartbreaking, and no one should have to experience such things. She doesn't shy away from the rough aspects and she's brutally honest about her own choices and mistakes.

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 3y
32 likes1 comment
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Addison_Reads
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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#CuriousCovers @AlwaysBeenaLoverofBooks @Eggs #LittenListen @aperfectmjk

My next audiobook features a #Woman on the cover. I'm excited to start this.

Eggs Great choice👏🏻 Sounds like a heavy story 📚👍🏼 3y
35 likes1 comment
review
Cinfhen
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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How do I begin? This book is fire/ explosive. Brenda Myers-Powell will leave you stunned. She doesn‘t shy away from anything she‘s seen, done or experienced. In the frankest words possible Brenda shares her incredible story of survival and revival. Her sheer will, strength, resilience and humor is inspiring. I shed tears while listening to this audio, not because Brenda cries victim but because she screams victor! 👇🏽

Cinfhen I absolutely recommend audio, I think there was so much power in hearing this story. Definitely one I won‘t forget.
#NetGalley #AudioARC #ALLtheTriggers
3y
Cinfhen I am curious to watch the documentary mentioned in this memoir, The Dreamcatchers. The DreamCatcher Foundation is a nonprofit founded by Brenda and her soul sister Stephanie Daniels-Wilson. It‘s a survivor founded, survivor driven, and survivor focused agency fighting to end human trafficking in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. 3y
73 likes2 comments
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Cinfhen
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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This book is brutal. Very graphic. At 9 Brenda was having sex for favors, at 14 she had two children, at 15 she was living on the streets as a prostitute. Brenda offers no excuses or apologies ~ she‘s just straight up sharing what it‘s like to survive. Her story starts in the late 1960‘s. It‘s difficult to listen to but I‘m equally riveted. #NetGalley #AudioARC

65 likes2 stack adds
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Cinfhen
Leaving Breezy Street: A Memoir | April Reynolds, Brenda Myers-Powell
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#AudioARC #NetGalley Whoa, this memoir is straight up BRUTAL! Brenda Jean does not hold anything back. It‘s violent, graphic and extremely heartbreaking. I‘m always amazed at what children are taught to endure, learn to hide and manage to survive. You know it‘s bad when you think your serial killer book might be an easier read.

TrishB The serial killer book is always easier! 3y
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