Losing Everything

by David Lozell Martin

Book Overview

In Losing Everything , his first book of nonfiction, acclaimed novelist David Lozell Martin tells his wildest, most outlandish story yet -- his own. One evening in the mountainous forest of his isolated West Virginia farmhouse, Martin became disoriented when searching for a horse who had wandered off the property. Wading through the dark and guiding his horse with a belt around its neck, Martin felt as though every step was taking him deeper into...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743294335
• ISBN13: 9780743294331
• Release Date: December 2008
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 201 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A REAL LIFE STORY

I really love this book. It's unusual for a man to openly express emotions and admit to weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I believe this book could provide insights for other men and women who have difficulty expressing their feelings. Martin's ability to express his authentic self is refreshing and rare. After all, isn't that the ultimate goal - to be authentic? This author is truly gifted and this book leaves readers with the desire to look at their own skeletons, heal and forgive their enemies. Don't miss the opportunity to read this book!

A Must Read

Losing Everything is, first and foremost, an incredible story. If it were a work of fiction, it would be a great read. The fact that it is a non-fiction account of David Martin's life makes it all the more amazing. Other reviewers have said that they could not put the book down, and that is the way it was with me. I started reading and reading . . . and stopped only once I was finished. I looked at the recent New York Times review, and Dwight Garner got it right when he said that Martin "keeps you wincing and turning the pages . . . ." The story is about a young kid from southern Illinois with an extremely screwed up childhood (imagine some of the terrible things a child could go through -- beatings, etc. -- and kick it up a notch). Often, a memoir that starts this way will then go into a series of self-hurrahs, e.g., "despite the way things started, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and became a success." Losing Everything doesn't go that route. Martin is brutal in his self-assesment of his life, and he has the courage to tell it like it is. There are some rough spots along the way, and my guess is that, other than those among us who believe they have reached perfection, people will feel like Martin is talking to them when he explains the things he has endured . . . I know I did. In the end, Martin doesn't try to say that he has everything figured out. Instead, he tells us some of what he has learned along the way. I found the "keeping a list of dead people" particularly insightful, as we can all keep departed loved ones (and even not-so-loved ones) alive in this world through our own remembering. I also thought Martin's points about forgiveness were very touching and true. People often view forgiveness as a sign of weakness (vengeance seems much tougher, just look at the story lines in Hollywood's movies), but truly forgiving someone is always the more difficult thing to do. And, without exception, if you can muster up the fortitude to forgive, you will be better off. These pointers (or life lessons or whatever you want to call them) are wonderful to read, and they are an uplifting way to end the book. But, I'll return to the power of Losing Everything -- the story. An abused kid, who becomes a drinker, then an author, then twice a husband, thumbing his nose at karma with his actions in his first marriage, only to see it come back to kick him in the rear in his second, losing everything (his love, his money, and, at his lowest point, his sanity), and then working to get much of it back . . . or at least to try to understand what happened and pass along his wisdom. Finally, when deciding if I loved a book, I usually think of a number of things: (1) Did the book make me keep reading and reading, even if it is late at night or there is somewhere I need to go?; (2) When reading the book, are there sentences or short passages that I re-read just to enjoy the excellence of the writing?; (3) When I'm done with the book, does it

Hard to Put Down

An extremely candid and painful account of a life gone wrong. So well written it was hard to put down, and I easily finished it in one sitting. Very diferent from the typical Hollywood confessional or "Mommy Dearest" genre. This alternately sordid and uplifting tale ends with a bunch of homilies, bromides and truisms about how to live a "better life", and I usually ignore this kind of pap. But. in truth, they were kind of interesting and didn't seem feigned. Highly recomended.

I couldn't put it down

I read this book in less than 24 hours, which is unusual for me. I found Martin's story to be gripping and VERY uplifting. I've never read any of his fiction, but I soon will. I LOVE his writing style. Some parts were tender, laugh out loud funny, or just thought provoking. The memory of Martin's experiences will stay with me for a while.

blown away

Wow. Sat down and read this in about 2 hours. I cried several times but I also laughed several times. I love the way he writes. The Crying Heart Tattoo is one of my favorite books of all time but this is truly amazing, soul-baring and ultimately an uplifting book.