Coming Clean: A Memoir

I really enjoyed this book. I like true stories, especially stories about someone overcoming the odds that are against them. Kimberly Rae Miller does a great job of detailing her life with hoarder parents (first her father and then, later, her mother). Her parents are almost abusive in their hoarder ways and there are times when she is not in a living situation that would be acceptable to any Human Services employee. The book does hit a small "plateau" in the middle when she is telling the stories of her college life and love life, but she never falls into yawn territory for me, and she is soon back to her hoarding parents. She loves her parents deeply and it is evident in this book. I enjoyed this so much and have recommended it to many friends and co-workers. I found myself rooting for her and for her parents throughout almost the entire book. This book deserves five stars and more.

Thank you Kim. As a child from hoarders parents this was a tough read. The same words, the same behavior, the same emotions. Kim did a fantastic job staying on topic to identify the real issue with hoarders. Her loving approach to her parents made it easy for me to digest this hard topic. The anger that develops can easily over shadow the underline mental issue. It did me. I admire her courage, may god’s love always be with you Kim.

Excellent read. I love memoirs and this one I could relate to. Very well written and keep you captivated.

A blogger describes in painstaking detail her life growing up as an only child, and the child of hoarders, up through the present day. She also describes the torments that she suffered as a result of her parents' hoarding and her embarrassments at having to bail them out time and again. It took me a bit to get into this book but it was a satisfying read.

This book made me sit up and start house cleaning. I can only imagine what life was like living with two hoarders. No wonder Kimberly needed therapy!

Not very good

I couldn't put this memoir down. This story is full of brutal honesty and raw emotion. It must have been so hard to write, but was probably therapeutic. It is rather upsetting at times, even for the reader, and there are also times when you will cheer Kimberly on. I've seen the hoarding shows, but they are only able to show a brief moment of the hoarder's life. This memoir is much more detailed about what it's like to actually live in this situation, and Kimberly does a fantastic job of portraying her parents as interesting and lovable people, despite it all. I think she's a great writer and I highly recommend this memoir.

I'm trying to get through this book - some of the descriptions are just way too long that I had to skip paragraphs. The book is focused on her messy childhood house, but sometimes it just goes tooooo long on certains things.

Usually, I distrust memoirs...
But when I find one that is written so honestly and poignantly, I feel the need to recommend it to everyone because what connects people is not our phony lives lived out on Facebook and Youtube, but our honest stories of struggle, misunderstandings, forgiveness and acceptance. Kimberly Rae Miller is giving up a piece of herself that makes us say, "oh yeah, I know just how you feel. My Dad embarrassed me at school functions too. My Mom wore curlers to parent/teacher conferences." That this woman manages to portray her neglectful parents so lovingly speaks volumes about her and her parents' capacity for forgiveness and love. I once had a friend whose mother actually used velvet ropes to close off certain parts of their house as if it was a museum rather than a home. Yes, it's the complete opposite of what this writer had to deal with and yet, I suspect, Kimberly's parents were more loving and honest than that friend's mother. Thanks for sharing Kimberly Rae Miller. Your story made a difference to me.

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