Reviews

“I could not stop reading… Ms. Clair tells this heartrending story with such perception and unforced humor, such a welcome lack of bitterness or self pity… a tribute to the writer as a person, and the person as a writer… You can win.”
Elayne Boosler, Comedian/Writer

“…So powerful, riveting and so shocking… I kept waiting for the blood bath ending… instead I got warmth, love and family… a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit and the strength of Clair’s soul.”
Don Murphy, Film Producer, NATURAL BORN KILLERS, APT PUPIL, FROM HELL, TRANSFORMERS, REAL STEEL, GEMINI MAN

“Casey Clair has written a book about living through the kind of childhood that people turn into movies. She grabs you on the first page and pulls you in…”
Merrill Markoe, Comedian/Writer

“A funny, heartbreaking story of a young girl who took the few rays of light that found their way into her childhood and turned them into a hugely successful life.”
Matt Miller, Author/Columnist

“A brave, beautifully written memoir that should be read by every teenager, not to mention every loving parent, in America. While Casey’s story has a happy ending, the trials she endured offer a chilling and cautionary tale about teen pregnancy. This book is a gripping read that will also prompt life-saving conversations among parents and daughters.”
Jody Greenstone Miller, board member, National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy

“This is a story of domestic violence, drug abuse, precarious sexual boundaries, verbal terrorism, mental illness, and the battle between light and darkness that ignites one child’s fire while extinguishing the flame of the other. Casey’s message is the very belief that keeps us fighting every day: no life is so dark that it can not be redeemed and no child is beyond hope.
Sara O’Meara, Chairman & CEO Childhelp USA

“A titanic memoir of grace and courage. An absolute ‘must read’ from Casey Maxwell Clair. This book literally takes your breath away. Unbelievably inspiring. If you are raising children — read it. If you are teaching children — read it. If you are just someone in search of an uplifting miracle of a story — read it. It will warm your heart to the core.”
JB Newton, Writer/Producer

“My favorite new book. Not since Glass Castle has a book hit me like this one. I went to the bath tub with it at 9:30 and finished it at 1:30 am. I laughed and cried and reread several chapters. I JUST LOVED IT. To grow up in spite of one’s childhood is always an epic event. I could not recommend this book more and I’m not even related to the author!”
Andrea Abbate, Writer/Producer

“Some people should never, under any circumstances, become parents… a fact borne out by Casey Maxwell Clair’s memoir. Her dad was a hotshot comedy writer, her mother WWII pin-up girl. I knew them both – or thought I did, until I read “An Only Child and Her Sister.” The result is a real page-turner…”
Jordan Young, Author, Writer LA Examiner

“An honest and insightful story of struggle against overwhelming odds. It is a story that takes place in the dark shadows of Hollywood’s magnetic allure and unforgiving embrace. A stunningly beautiful woman and a dashing young writer with a genius for comedy descend upon Hollywood of the 1940s in search of fame and fortune.. the two beautiful little girls that are born to them prove to be a stubborn, persistent distraction. Growing up as incidental distractions, they scrounged wherever they could for morsels of nurturing and hope. One of them made it, the other did not. Their journey is a heartbreaking wild rollercoaster ride without seatbelts. It takes you through the deep crevices of hopeless despair and the powerful summits of humor and humility.”
Dr. Daniel Ruben, MD