Questions about This Is Not My Life

Yes. It is a memoir. Laura Burkett tells the story of her family, her sister, and the years after her sister's death in her own words.

It is a memoir of sisterhood, suspicion, and starting over. It begins with a phone call in December 2002, goes back to show how Laura's sister, Danielle, lived, and follows the questions that follow a sudden loss, along with Laura's own transformation from dutiful sister to fierce advocate.

It is a memoir, not a whodunit with a verdict. The family's search for answers is at the heart of the story, and the book is honest about what stays uncertain. Many readers say that honesty is what stays with them.

The memoir deals with the sudden death of the author's sister and a friend, a suspicious death and a police investigation that ended without answers, an abusive marriage, mental illness, suicide (a teenage threat and a brief moment of suicidal thinking), and unwanted physical advances. It is also darkly funny. Readers describe it as honest and hard to put down.

Yes, often. Humor runs through the book, even in the hardest chapters. Reviewers call it heartbreaking, hilarious, and hopeful.

The paperback and hardcover are 244 pages, and the Kindle edition is 217 pages.

Yes. The Kindle edition is free to read with Kindle Unlimited, and you can also buy it outright.

The paperback and Kindle edition are on Amazon, and the paperback and hardcover are also available from Barnes & Noble. The hardcover is also listed at Walmart.

Laura Burkett is the author of the memoir This Is Not My Life. She lives outside of Pittsburgh and recently gave the keynote at the Women Rising Summit in Canfield, Ohio.

Yes. It is short enough for a month, free for Kindle Unlimited members, and full of themes that spark discussion. See the book club page for ten spoiler-free questions and a free printable guide.

Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads help other readers find the book. Both take about a minute.