Book Review: Lipstick on a Pig: A Memoir by Rebecca Butt

Book Details:

Author: Rebecca Butt
Release Date: June 30, 2023
~~Series~~:
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Format: E-book
Pages: 276 pages
Publisher: Bowker
Blurb:
Candid and poignant, humorous and heart-wrenching, in nomadic fashion, the directionless Butt Family chaotically relocated throughout the city of Laconia, New Hampshire, like a ship, adrift and lost at sea without a captain.
Encumbered by night terrors, hauntings, and scraps of memories that spoke to a cruelty beyond her mother, Becky sneakily devoured her way into young adulthood and developed a crippling, yet all too comforting, binge-eating disorder.
Morbidly obese, visited often by a seething presence, and drowning under the smothering symptoms of childhood trauma, Becky is sure she’s the defective link in her broken family-until her ghost relative provides her a life jacket of hope that may just keep her afloat.

Review

Rebecca Butt’s “Lipstick on a Pig” is one of those rare memoirs that grabbed me by the heart and refused to let go. It’s a story told with such raw honesty and sprinkles of humour that I found myself laughing one moment and reaching for tissues the next. The chaotic journey of the Butt family through Laconia, New Hampshire, is portrayed with such vividness that I felt like I was right there with them, navigating their turbulent life.

The core of this memoir is Becky’s own battle with a binge-eating disorder and the haunting shadows of her childhood. Reading about her struggles and the way she bared her soul was both heart-wrenching and inspiring. It’s not just the story of her challenges but also about finding small joys and laughter in the darkest of times. Becky’s journey from a confused, troubled child to a young woman grappling with her demons resonated deeply with me.

This book isn’t just a recounting of a difficult past; it’s a story of survival, of finding light in the darkness, and of the incredible strength of the human spirit. “Lipstick on a Pig” isn’t just a memoir; it’s a journey of pain, laughter, and, most importantly, hope.