Tramps like Us – a review

Fitting 12 years of life into 293 pages is no mean feat but Kristen Buckley carries it off admirably. For a brief moment I knew what it felt like to be a young girl growing up in New Jersey – fortunately I had to stop reading otherwise I would have missed my stop on the London Underground. Despite how a 6’4” male getting in touch with his inner small girl may sound it is not a bad thing - rather it is testament to Kristen’s skill as a writer.

From a (possibly apocryphal) tale of how a Bruce Willis sex scene prevented the nuclear destruction of the free world in the introduction; through divorce, orphans, remarriage, Jewish relatives, the Mafia, rats and a mistaken case of Immaculate Conception (among many other things) her story will hold you enthralled.

Kristen makes a likable protagonist and the memories she has set down on paper from her childhood are both gripping and hilarious. Even though some of the subject matter is serious and she does mature as the years and chapters go by she never loses the elements of exuberance and excitement that make the book such a pleasure to read. Her family and friends make up an entertaining supporting cast with her adoptive siblings’ exploits often taking over whole pages but that just makes it more enjoyable.

Tramps like us is about the joys and craziness of life as seen through the eyes of a child as she grows into a young woman. It has the potential to be a successful crossover biography – attracting adults who grew up during that time (and those who enjoy life stories) and teens who will be able to identify with the frustrations, insanities and restrictions of family life. This memoir also bucks the trend that has seen a plethora of books enter the market about horrific tales of childhood abuse making it one of the most refreshing and enjoyable tales I have read in a long time.

It has become one of my favourite new books of 2007!

UK Release date: May 2007

Rating: 8/10