Sindy in Real Life is the biography of the first five decades in the life of a woman who was raised in a home reeking of tobacco smoke by a bullying drunk often absent father who thought she was a waste of space and a mother who thought her inferior to her cousins. It was a home without books or cultural communication. She became a failing pupil at a failing school, thought of herself as ugly and unloved. Offered sex as her only way of getting attention. Left without qualifications. Gradually she gained qualifications by grafting in court-related jobs while studying at night. Misadventures with men, an attempt to flee her hometown, only to return to its claustrophobic safety, drunken nights out with her only friend and in alone with three bottles of red wine, marked her progress through the early years as a paralegal. But then she decided to have two children and give them a positive start in life, bring them up alone with her surname, and earn the money to do it well. She entered the rough and tumble of no-win, no-fee lawyering with a desire to help deserving people to gain compensation only to find she was trapped in a money-making machine that had little to do with justice, failed to gain just rewards and encouraged dishonest claims. But then she became pregnant again and needed more money for three children at a time when the legal work was paying less. She turned to sex, offering her services through an escort agency to make up the difference, encountered a range of men including one who controlled her life for a year of tyranny, before finally understanding that neither profession could offer her respect or the hope of self-respect, and even as she continued to work in them began to campaign for respect. This book is part of that campaign. It is a book about the resilience of the human spirit, an honest account in the everyday language of Sindy, full of swearing and humor, frank in its descriptions of bad, enjoyable and forced sex and male performance.
EARLY REVIEWS for Sindy in Real Life
I thought this book “Sindy In Real Life” was amazing. I
was completely pulled in from the beginning and was intrigued that it was about
a woman – and mother- who goes from her dead-end legal job to being a sex
worker, but also seemed to have a pretty complex plot that is character driven by
the narrator (who is actually anonymous). I’ve always had a fascination with
the sex-worker industry so this book seemed like one I’d enjoy… and while it
had its darker moments and I do think it could have benefited from more
tightening and trimming of a few needless scenes/excess narrative on occasion,
it was so interesting and fun and just so different from what I normally read
that I forgave these qualms. I enjoyed the personalities of the different
characters, and the way the author really put us inside “Sindy’s” head through
everything (not her name but how I think of her)– we feel like we know her very
intimately by the time we are done. We feel transported not only into her
unique and interesting life, but her experiences and it is fascinating to watch
everything play out, and I did like the ending. I liked that it has a positive
message if respect in such a tough lifestyle. I actually expected it to be far
more graphic, and while the author is quite blunt and frank with her language
and experiences, it isn’t like ‘erotica’, but more like an edgy, eye-opening
biography with lots of spice and sass and humanity. Recommend for adults
only. (4-5 stars) Jenna Brewster—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble
I really liked this book, “Sindy in
Real Life” I think the author did a wonderful job of pulling us inside her
world and making her relatable and sympathetic – not just some silly, screwed
up druggie, which is so often the stereotype. It really exposed some things
about escorting that I never knew, but more importantly it really showed us who
Sindy is as a person – as a woman – and a mother. She had a tough childhood and
her adulthood wasn’t much better, but she I able to find her way in life in a
way that works for her. It’s actually kind of inspiring to see how it all
unfolds how she ends up.. For the most part I thought it was very well-written and
I enjoyed the author’s narrative ‘voice’ so much personality and energy, it
just whisks you through the pages. And the editing was near flawless as well!!! It kept my attention from the compelling opening
to the satisfying ending, although it takes some time for us to get to know “Sindy”
and really hook us into her storyline. In terms of the sex, yes there is
plenty, but done in an organic and non-gratuitous manner. It isn’t the sole
focus of the book, which I actually appreciated. It had more depth and great
character development along the way, and some surprises too. Overall, I liked
the author’s writing style very much, and found myself completely lost in this enticing
world she recanted night after night. (5 stars)
Sherrie Warner—Goodreads; Indie Book Reviewers
I admit I wasn’t sure
what I was getting myself into in deciding to read this book, because
admittedly I do tend to lean towards the paranormal/fantasy romance elements of
literature because I enjoy the make-believe parts. “Confessions” of a real-life
escort isn’t my usual fare, but I consider myself pretty open minded and was
curious to see what it was all about. Was I in for a surprise! Not only was I
was intrigued by the writing sample, but also with the way that I felt an
almost immediate connection to the narrator and how the author was telling us
her story. Such raw honesty, grit and authenticity… she almost demanded that I
get to know her better, which I did. I
found myself just wanting to read more… and more… and more… and I couldn’t
believe it when I realized I was totally hooked, and I felt transported to
another world just by experiencing the lives of these riveting characters who
are so true to life and authentic, yet unlike any I’ve met before. Dark,
damaged, flawed, but incredible real and very relatable. As a woman who is
trying to provide for her children and without a stable home life or husband
and a menial job, sometimes life takes you in unexpected directions… This story
could have been another cliché ‘sex’ story, but it was far from it because the
author (who is “anonymous”) made her, and the other characters feel so ‘real’
with authentic world-building and key detailing, and it never felt contrived. I
loved the ending and I’m really glad I took a chance on this one. Recommend for
adults only (4-5 stars). Claire Middleton— Barnes & Noble; Indie
Book Reviewers
Just
a heads up…when starting “Sindy in Real Life”, make sure you don’t have
anywhere you need to be or anything you need to do because you won’t want to
stop reading until you’ve finished it all!! Trust me on this! The book starts
off with a very evocative beginning setting the stage and tone for the book and
how the author’s (who is anonymous but compares herself to a “Sindy doll” –
hence the title) story is going to be different than perhaps what we are used
to reading about…and just keeps going from there. Warning: this book holds
nothing back in terms of sex and the ‘behind the scenes’ of real ‘working girl’
experiences so not for the prudish or judgmental. The characters and storylines
are so well-developed and fully fleshed out you feel like you know them
personally, and I think what I liked the most about this book was just the
overall feel the author managed to create where it felt intimate, like a close
friend was telling me this really crazy, fun, sad, intense, sexy, story that I
didn’t want to stop listening to. The writing is very descriptive and you can
picture everything perfectly. There are some surprising twists and some parts
that really catch you off guard – some shocking and some sweet and funny… but
that just made this book even more addicting. Like that it had depth and heart
– Absolutely Recommend. (mature reader only) (5 stars) Essie Harmon—Goodreads;
Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
This book “Sindy in Real Life” seems to
have something of everything… seriously. Sex, drama, romance, danger, secrets,
personal struggles, family life, humor,
and shocking behavior… but I was impressed by the solid writing and the way
that we are able to experience the story through the author’s eyes in without it feeling “telling” (my pet peeve!), which
is super hard to do when writing in narrative form like this book is (with more
narration telling the story than dialogue) and while I’m not usually a fan of
reading books where sex is the focus of the story (in any form), here it not
only worked without feeling gratuitous, but it really added to the depth of the
characters, especially the author. It’s an enlightening glimpse into a
fascinating lifestyle that can have its fun moments, but not without its share
of troubles…and definitely has its more shocking and even upsetting
scenes. For the most part the writing
was so fluid and had great pacing…. even for being on the longer side. Always
found myself reading for longer than I planned to, as there was never a good
place to just stop—especially towards the end. I actually think this book will
have wide-ranging appeal due to the unique combination of family life/drama/personal
growth and sexual exploration and hijinks with some memorable characters. It’s
a darn good read as we get swept away in the fun, but due to the adult subject
matter it’s best suited for mature readers only. This book wraps up well (it’s
a standalone, not part of any series I don’t think?) but I would love to read
more from this author in the future. She has such a lively and charismatic way
of telling an interesting tale that covers the gamut of emotions. (4 stars) Laura Clarke—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble