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Between Two Trailers
An unforgettable memoir about a girl who escapes her childhood as a preschool drug dealer to earn a divinity degree from Duke University—and then realizes she must confront her past to truly find her way home
“Home, it turns out, is where the war is. It’s also where the healing begins.”
Born to drug-dealing parents in rural Indiana, Dana Trent is a preschooler the first time she uses a razor blade to cut up weed and fill dime bags for her schizophrenic father, King. While King struggles with his unmedicated psychosis, Dana’s mother, the Lady, a cold and self-absorbed woman whose personality disorders rule the home, guards large bricks of drugs from the safety of their squalid trailer, where she watches TV evangelist Tammy Faye on repeat. Growing up, Dana tries to be the daughter each of her parents wanted: a drug lord’s heir and a debutante minister. But when the Lady impulsively plucks Dana from the Midwest and moves the two of them south, their fresh start results in homelessness and bankruptcy. In North Carolina, Dana becomes torn between her gritty midwestern past and her desire to be a polite southern girl, hiding her homelife of drugs and parents whose severe mental illnesses have left them debilitated.
Dana imagines that her hidden Indiana life is finally behind her after she graduates from Duke University and becomes a professor and an ambivalent female Southern Baptist minister. But Dana was a child of the drug trade. Though she escapes flyover country, she realizes that she will never be able to escape her father’s legacy, and that her childhood secrets have kept her from making peace with the people and places that shaped her. Ultimately, Dana finds that no one can really “make it” until they return to where their story home.
“Home, it turns out, is where the war is. It’s also where the healing begins.”
Born to drug-dealing parents in rural Indiana, Dana Trent is a preschooler the first time she uses a razor blade to cut up weed and fill dime bags for her schizophrenic father, King. While King struggles with his unmedicated psychosis, Dana’s mother, the Lady, a cold and self-absorbed woman whose personality disorders rule the home, guards large bricks of drugs from the safety of their squalid trailer, where she watches TV evangelist Tammy Faye on repeat. Growing up, Dana tries to be the daughter each of her parents wanted: a drug lord’s heir and a debutante minister. But when the Lady impulsively plucks Dana from the Midwest and moves the two of them south, their fresh start results in homelessness and bankruptcy. In North Carolina, Dana becomes torn between her gritty midwestern past and her desire to be a polite southern girl, hiding her homelife of drugs and parents whose severe mental illnesses have left them debilitated.
Dana imagines that her hidden Indiana life is finally behind her after she graduates from Duke University and becomes a professor and an ambivalent female Southern Baptist minister. But Dana was a child of the drug trade. Though she escapes flyover country, she realizes that she will never be able to escape her father’s legacy, and that her childhood secrets have kept her from making peace with the people and places that shaped her. Ultimately, Dana finds that no one can really “make it” until they return to where their story home.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2024
About the author
J. Dana Trent
8 books108 followersJ. Dana Trent is a speaker, professor, award-winning spirituality author, and minister. A graduate of Duke Divinity School, she teaches world religions and critical thinking at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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April 17, 2024
J. Dana Trent overcame a difficult childhood to become a Southern Baptist minister and a college professor in North Carolina.
J. Dana Trent
Dana's parents, Rick Lewman (aka King) and Judy Trent Lewman (aka the Lady), met at Cincinnati, Ohio's Rollman Psychiatric Institute, where King was a recreational therapist and the Lady was a psychiatric nurse. What's ironic is that both Dana's parents were mentally ill: King suffered from paranoid schizophrenia with depression and anxiety; and the Lady was narcissistic with dependent personality disorder.
Rick Lewman (King)
Judy Trent Lewman (the Lady)
In the early 1980s King, the Lady, and toddler Dana moved to Indiana, and the Lewmans bought a trailer in King's hometown of Dana, in Vermillion County. Dana is famous for being the home town of Ernie Pyle, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and war correspondent.
Dana, Indiana
The Ernie Pyle Festival in Dana, Indiana
Rick Lewman (King), Judy Trent Lewman (the Lady), and baby Dana
In Indiana, King became a drug dealer and the lady lounged around in a king size bed in the trailer's back bedroom, smoking joints, binge-watching the 700 Club, and guarding King's marijuana bales and cocaine bricks.
Dana's father (King) became a drug dealer
By the time Dana was four-years-old, she recalls, "I helped my schizophrenic drug-lord father chop, drop, and traffic kilos in kiddie-ride [ponies] across flyover country....Dad's entourage were loyal men with street names that reflected their personalities or vices....Together with them, our little family supplied Midwesterners with enough uppers and downers to soothe the monotony of landlocked Vermillion County."
Young Dana and her father (King)
When the drug trade was doing poorly Dana lived on ketchup sandwiches, and when things picked up the Lewmans ate bologna and scrambled eggs with cheese. Luckily, Dana's grandmother and grandfather (aka G&GL), as well as her Uncle Leuge and Aunt Marietta, lived nearby, and Dana could eat her fill when she visited their homes. Dana especially loved her grandmother's 'candy spaghetti', which was Chef Boyardee box pasta doctored up with ketchup and brown sugar.
Dana and her cousins with their grandmother and grandfather (G&GL)
Chef Boyardee spaghetti
Despite her chaotic life, Dana dearly loved her father. King would take Dana and her cousins on midnight bike rides, and impart wisdom such as: 'If you want to kill somebody, you do it in Vermillion County' and 'There's only so much sugar in the sack' (when King was out of drugs, time, or money). Dana notes, "We rode without the heaviness of drugs or cash that needed to be hidden. It was a rare respite from slinging and the fetid trailer."
Little Dana
Dana and her father (King)
King and the Lady had different aspirations for the future, and when Dana was six, the Lady took Dana and relocated to North Carolina - where the Lady had family. Dana's mother proceeded to divorce King, and Dana's anxiety resulted in her compulsively pulling out chunks of hair by the roots.
Young Dana
Dana writes, "I was now of two worlds - Indiana and North Carolina - and I took up a shape-shifting identity to be the daughter they needed in each environment." A therapist diagnosed Dana as "operating at a superior level of intellectual functioning" but with "emotional resources insufficient to cope with current stressors."
Young Dana
Dana being baptized at Binkley Baptist Church in North Carolina
The Lady sometimes worked as a nurse to support herself and Dana, but King paid no child support, money was scarce, and the Lady's family had to help out (a lot). Meanwhile, Dana felt deserted by her father, who seemed to have abandoned her.
Later on, Dana would spend summers in Indiana, visiting with her extended Lewman family. However, King's mental illness often led to bizarre behavior and forgetfulness about food, and G&GL would have to step in.
Dana enjoyed her summers in Vermillion County, but they hurt her relationship with the Lady. Dana observes, "Navigating time with my parents was a losing game of Whac-A-Mole. If I met the deficit with one, the other would pop up. It was as much about hatred for each other as it was about love for me or parental self-esteem." The Lady's resentment "manifested as meanness, then obnoxious self-importance that covered her insecurity."
Dana's mother (the Lady)
Things escalated to the point that the Lady insisted Dana change her last name to Trent (the Lady's family name). Dana observes, "It was the beginning of a formal certified separation from my heritage, my home, my father, and my family."
When Dana entered adolescence, she became boy crazy, and dated a steady stream of boys, in both Indiana and North Carolina. Dana writes, "I was the young woman who tried to replace her absent father's love and attention with external validation from the opposite sex."
Adolescent Dana
Dana and her father (King)
After high school Dana went on to Salem College and had dreams of law school; however, the Lady persuaded Dana to apply to Divinity School at Duke University, and, in time, Dana was ordained. The years after high school were hard for Dana, as booze and food put on the pounds, while anxiety led to Dana's prescription drug use.
Duke Divinity School
The Lady insisted Dana sever her Indiana roots; was miffed when Dana fell in love and got married; and did everything she could to control Dana's life - which Dana attributes to the Lady's mental illness. It wasn't until the Lady passed away, in 2017, that Dana could re-establish ties to her childhood roots in Indiana.
Dana and her mother (the Lady)
Dana's mother (the Lady)
Dana now seems to be a well-adjusted minister and teacher, and her resilience can serve as encouragement for young people in challenging situations.
Dana and her husband Fred
Minister Dana Trent preaching
Professor Dana Trent teaching
Dana with her husband Fred and their cats
Thanks to Netgalley, J. Dana Trent, and Convergent Books for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
April 9, 2024
A preschooler's hands are the perfect size for razor blades, begins Trent. I know because I helped my schizophrenic drug-lord father chop, drop, and traffic kilos in kiddie-ride carcasses across flyover country. (loc. 88*)
There's an opening to capture the attention if ever there was one. Growing up in Indiana, Trent was schooled from a young age in life lessons: if you kill somebody, do it in Vermillion County; there's only so much sugar in the sack; natural elements are the best weapons; never trust a liar. Her father was convinced that these lessons would not just keep her safe but make her strong, and her mother's focus was primarily on ruling the trailer from the nest of sheets and blankets she built up in bed. They loved her—but theirs was not a conventional love.
Dad, too busy to bother with me before I could walk, used duct tape to fasten my hands to my baby bottle filled with chocolate milk. I sat on the kitchen counter by him all day, lifting that duct-taped bottle to my mouth and catching his marijuana exhales as weed ash fell onto his open King James Bible. (loc. 113)
Between Two Trailers sees Trent through those young years of drug-running in Indiana (the right age for those kiddie rides: "That ain't no toy!" her father yelled (loc. 1033)) and off to North Carolina, where her mother relocated the two of them on a whim. A trailer her mother called a shotgun house because if our enemies sent twelve-gauge buckshot through the kitchen window, we'd drop like dominoes (loc. 103); ceiling tiles razored to pieces as her father searched for government bugs; apartments in North Carolina subsidized by the extended family as her mother's fortunes—and get-up-and-go—fluctuated.
It is King and the Lady, as Trent refers to her parents throughout the book, who set the scene and rule the roost throughout the book. King and the Lady who define what normal is throughout Trent's childhood and King and the Lady who compete for Trent's affections and future. The book slows down a bit as Trent gets older and dives headfirst into as ordinary a life as she can create for herself and as she moves away from the lessons of her childhood. It's clear, though, that however complicated a childhood it was (and oh man—it was complicated), Trent has come to make peace with that childhood and to embrace her parents for who they were.
Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to review this title through NetGalley.
*Quotes are from an ARC and pay not be final.
There's an opening to capture the attention if ever there was one. Growing up in Indiana, Trent was schooled from a young age in life lessons: if you kill somebody, do it in Vermillion County; there's only so much sugar in the sack; natural elements are the best weapons; never trust a liar. Her father was convinced that these lessons would not just keep her safe but make her strong, and her mother's focus was primarily on ruling the trailer from the nest of sheets and blankets she built up in bed. They loved her—but theirs was not a conventional love.
Dad, too busy to bother with me before I could walk, used duct tape to fasten my hands to my baby bottle filled with chocolate milk. I sat on the kitchen counter by him all day, lifting that duct-taped bottle to my mouth and catching his marijuana exhales as weed ash fell onto his open King James Bible. (loc. 113)
Between Two Trailers sees Trent through those young years of drug-running in Indiana (the right age for those kiddie rides: "That ain't no toy!" her father yelled (loc. 1033)) and off to North Carolina, where her mother relocated the two of them on a whim. A trailer her mother called a shotgun house because if our enemies sent twelve-gauge buckshot through the kitchen window, we'd drop like dominoes (loc. 103); ceiling tiles razored to pieces as her father searched for government bugs; apartments in North Carolina subsidized by the extended family as her mother's fortunes—and get-up-and-go—fluctuated.
It is King and the Lady, as Trent refers to her parents throughout the book, who set the scene and rule the roost throughout the book. King and the Lady who define what normal is throughout Trent's childhood and King and the Lady who compete for Trent's affections and future. The book slows down a bit as Trent gets older and dives headfirst into as ordinary a life as she can create for herself and as she moves away from the lessons of her childhood. It's clear, though, that however complicated a childhood it was (and oh man—it was complicated), Trent has come to make peace with that childhood and to embrace her parents for who they were.
Thanks to the author and publisher for inviting me to review this title through NetGalley.
*Quotes are from an ARC and pay not be final.
April 17, 2024
“My get-up-and-go done got up and went!”
I will now be using that line frequently, thank you Lady!! There are so many interesting (and unhinged) lines in this book, starting with the very intro which is guaranteed to make you go "what the heck did I just read?".
I normally would've listened to the audiobook version, but because of how crazy Dana's early childhood is, I know I would've kept pausing every few seconds going "what", so I'm really glad I read it myself instead. This way I could process the chaos that was happening much better.
So basically, the author grew up with two (very) mentally ill parents, her father (King) was a drug dealer and even trained her to follow in his footsteps from birth, and her mother (Lady) wanted Dana to grant her every whim and take care of her indefinitely while she lounged around doing nothing all day.
Dana had to raise herself, learn how to survive, and thrive which is no easy feat in general, let alone coming from a background like that. But she did manage to do it, and I'm so proud of her for it.
It was so fascinating reading about her life, I literally devoured her story and had to pace myself so that I wouldn't finish it too fast. She's an excellent storyteller, knowing exactly how to keep her readers engaged. I'd love to read more of her work in the future, in book form or not.
There's even some things we have in common (not the drug dealing father, thankfully), like getting carsick & trichotillomania. I was sitting there going "girl, me too!!!", I really don't remember the last time I've seen either of those things mentioned in a memoir, if ever.
Now for the slightly negative, Between Two Trailers had a time jump that felt a bit abrupt. We got to see her growing up in great detail, then suddenly she's an adult and that part of her life is told in flashes. I think the book would've benefited from another 50-100 pages added, to properly cover that period so that it wouldn't feel so jumpy.
There was one thing in particular I wanted to see more of, and that's Fred. Like the story of how exactly they met, a bit about their relationship and so on. Though I understand this is more about Dana's past/childhood and healing from it. And I also saw that she has a shorter book about their love story, so maybe it makes sense we didn't get more about it here.
I also wish my early copy had pictures, I'm pretty sure the final version will, so I'm jealous of all of you who get to experience that from the get go.
Though I did look through the author's socials after finishing the book, to see if I could put a face to the name, and her parents look EXACTLY how I imagined them, which just shows how talented of a writer Trent really is. I swear she described them perfectly, down to a T, I could see them (and the rest of the cast) so clearly.
All in all, I enjoyed this memoir and would recommend it to anyone who feels like reading an unbelievable story that actually happened, and one that's so engrossing it reads like fiction instead of nonfiction.
P. S. There might've been something to King's Vaseline theory, it sounds completely sensible to me!
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I will now be using that line frequently, thank you Lady!! There are so many interesting (and unhinged) lines in this book, starting with the very intro which is guaranteed to make you go "what the heck did I just read?".
I normally would've listened to the audiobook version, but because of how crazy Dana's early childhood is, I know I would've kept pausing every few seconds going "what", so I'm really glad I read it myself instead. This way I could process the chaos that was happening much better.
So basically, the author grew up with two (very) mentally ill parents, her father (King) was a drug dealer and even trained her to follow in his footsteps from birth, and her mother (Lady) wanted Dana to grant her every whim and take care of her indefinitely while she lounged around doing nothing all day.
Dana had to raise herself, learn how to survive, and thrive which is no easy feat in general, let alone coming from a background like that. But she did manage to do it, and I'm so proud of her for it.
It was so fascinating reading about her life, I literally devoured her story and had to pace myself so that I wouldn't finish it too fast. She's an excellent storyteller, knowing exactly how to keep her readers engaged. I'd love to read more of her work in the future, in book form or not.
There's even some things we have in common (not the drug dealing father, thankfully), like getting carsick & trichotillomania. I was sitting there going "girl, me too!!!", I really don't remember the last time I've seen either of those things mentioned in a memoir, if ever.
Now for the slightly negative, Between Two Trailers had a time jump that felt a bit abrupt. We got to see her growing up in great detail, then suddenly she's an adult and that part of her life is told in flashes. I think the book would've benefited from another 50-100 pages added, to properly cover that period so that it wouldn't feel so jumpy.
There was one thing in particular I wanted to see more of, and that's Fred. Like the story of how exactly they met, a bit about their relationship and so on. Though I understand this is more about Dana's past/childhood and healing from it. And I also saw that she has a shorter book about their love story, so maybe it makes sense we didn't get more about it here.
I also wish my early copy had pictures, I'm pretty sure the final version will, so I'm jealous of all of you who get to experience that from the get go.
Though I did look through the author's socials after finishing the book, to see if I could put a face to the name, and her parents look EXACTLY how I imagined them, which just shows how talented of a writer Trent really is. I swear she described them perfectly, down to a T, I could see them (and the rest of the cast) so clearly.
All in all, I enjoyed this memoir and would recommend it to anyone who feels like reading an unbelievable story that actually happened, and one that's so engrossing it reads like fiction instead of nonfiction.
P. S. There might've been something to King's Vaseline theory, it sounds completely sensible to me!
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
September 30, 2023
A beautiful memoir about resentment, regret, and redemption.
A marriage between two mentally ill drug addicts that begins in a psych hospital is bound to end in madness
In the 1980s, Dana grew up in a broke down trailer with her parents—educated and capable, but troubled— surrounded by bales of marijuana and cocaine bricks. Recruited to work for a drug boss and struggling with their own addictions, trauma, and mental health conditions, her parent's, "King" and "the Lady", left Dana mostly neglected. By the age of four, Dana was sitting at the counter chopping up marijuana for her father and helping him sling his drugs. After all, kids make the best hustlers... "No one expects a runt in a Looney Tunes T-shirt to shank you".
When she was six years old, the Lady ripped Dana away from her home and her father and moved her to North Carolina where life only got harder. Living in fear of abandonment by the only parent she had left, Dana grew anxious, angry, and lonely. It wasn’t until many, many years later that she recognized that in order to move forward and accept herself, she had to make peace with her past.
I realize now that... the real danger was in not accepting my parents for who they were, mental illness and addiction and poverty and all. The real danger was in not realizing that they were doing the very best they could with what they had.
Trent had a truly remarkable childhood. Bearing witness to her living through so much neglect and poverty was heartbreaking and yet fascinating to read about. I found it truly inspiring that she was able to turn her own life around after coming from such a rough upbringing. I'm such a sucker for these kinds of stories. The writing style was not my favorite, however. At times, the writing felt choppy and jumpy and, at other times, cryptic and vague, which would make it difficult to follow the story line but overall, I still enjoyed the journey.
Thank you NetGalley for my digital copy! Out 04/16/2024!
A marriage between two mentally ill drug addicts that begins in a psych hospital is bound to end in madness
In the 1980s, Dana grew up in a broke down trailer with her parents—educated and capable, but troubled— surrounded by bales of marijuana and cocaine bricks. Recruited to work for a drug boss and struggling with their own addictions, trauma, and mental health conditions, her parent's, "King" and "the Lady", left Dana mostly neglected. By the age of four, Dana was sitting at the counter chopping up marijuana for her father and helping him sling his drugs. After all, kids make the best hustlers... "No one expects a runt in a Looney Tunes T-shirt to shank you".
When she was six years old, the Lady ripped Dana away from her home and her father and moved her to North Carolina where life only got harder. Living in fear of abandonment by the only parent she had left, Dana grew anxious, angry, and lonely. It wasn’t until many, many years later that she recognized that in order to move forward and accept herself, she had to make peace with her past.
I realize now that... the real danger was in not accepting my parents for who they were, mental illness and addiction and poverty and all. The real danger was in not realizing that they were doing the very best they could with what they had.
Trent had a truly remarkable childhood. Bearing witness to her living through so much neglect and poverty was heartbreaking and yet fascinating to read about. I found it truly inspiring that she was able to turn her own life around after coming from such a rough upbringing. I'm such a sucker for these kinds of stories. The writing style was not my favorite, however. At times, the writing felt choppy and jumpy and, at other times, cryptic and vague, which would make it difficult to follow the story line but overall, I still enjoyed the journey.
Thank you NetGalley for my digital copy! Out 04/16/2024!
October 7, 2023
I don't typically rate memoirs, but as this is an ARC, I have provided a rating.
"Old baggage was hard to let go of, no matter where we found ourselves living, no matter how new our paths looked. King had his new place on an old coal pile; I had my new master's degree from an old university. But we were still us: Vermillion County drug-running trailer trash one meth hit away from the carny caste."
This memoir follows Dana, beginning with her earliest memories of her father making her separate marijuana seeds and stems and cutting cocaine with razor blades at four years old, to dealing with her childhood trauma in college, and eventually, in her forties, learning to understand her parents behavior and mental health. This novel was really interesting for someone studying psychopathology as Dana's parents both had some very complex diagnoses. Dana's experience makes me think a lot about attachment theory and how at some point, we will either have to work through childhood trauma, or the burden will only become heavier to carry. I would recommend this to all my social work friends. I only removed a star because it did feel a little unorganized and there were some meaningless tangents. I still read them because I was invested in Dana's story and felt she deserved to tell it just how she observed it.
Thank you NetGalley for this digital ARC.
"Old baggage was hard to let go of, no matter where we found ourselves living, no matter how new our paths looked. King had his new place on an old coal pile; I had my new master's degree from an old university. But we were still us: Vermillion County drug-running trailer trash one meth hit away from the carny caste."
This memoir follows Dana, beginning with her earliest memories of her father making her separate marijuana seeds and stems and cutting cocaine with razor blades at four years old, to dealing with her childhood trauma in college, and eventually, in her forties, learning to understand her parents behavior and mental health. This novel was really interesting for someone studying psychopathology as Dana's parents both had some very complex diagnoses. Dana's experience makes me think a lot about attachment theory and how at some point, we will either have to work through childhood trauma, or the burden will only become heavier to carry. I would recommend this to all my social work friends. I only removed a star because it did feel a little unorganized and there were some meaningless tangents. I still read them because I was invested in Dana's story and felt she deserved to tell it just how she observed it.
Thank you NetGalley for this digital ARC.
March 28, 2024
3.5
An interesting debut memoir from Dana Trent whose upbringing was extremely unconventional (please bear in mind I was brought up by middle class parents in Yorkshire). Dana's father, King, and her mother, Lady, met in a mental health facility where they'd both been previously employed. It was clearly a recipe for disaster.
King brought Dana up to be his sidekick when it came to drug deals. Lady wanted Dana to be her minder. I don't doubt that they loved her but they simply weren't capable of providing her with a childhood.
This leads to Dana struggling, in later life, with her own mental health. She struggled to make real friends and continued to be her mother's nurse.
The memoir, for all the chaotic circumstances, shows a young woman who cared for her family and her community very deeply. It's a really moving story that often left me open mouthed that a girl managed to almost bring herself up and keep both parents happy.
J Dana Trent is clearly an extraordinary woman.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Convergent Books for the advance review copy.
An interesting debut memoir from Dana Trent whose upbringing was extremely unconventional (please bear in mind I was brought up by middle class parents in Yorkshire). Dana's father, King, and her mother, Lady, met in a mental health facility where they'd both been previously employed. It was clearly a recipe for disaster.
King brought Dana up to be his sidekick when it came to drug deals. Lady wanted Dana to be her minder. I don't doubt that they loved her but they simply weren't capable of providing her with a childhood.
This leads to Dana struggling, in later life, with her own mental health. She struggled to make real friends and continued to be her mother's nurse.
The memoir, for all the chaotic circumstances, shows a young woman who cared for her family and her community very deeply. It's a really moving story that often left me open mouthed that a girl managed to almost bring herself up and keep both parents happy.
J Dana Trent is clearly an extraordinary woman.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Convergent Books for the advance review copy.
October 27, 2023
For anyone who thinks that this book may be a dramatization, as someone who grew up in the rural Midwest this book is gospel. I appreciated how it gave me insight into the upbringings of some of my childhood friends lives, as I lived more on the periphery of it all. I think this book should be required reading for all transplant Midwest therapists who wonder why so many of us struggle to express emotion or abandon our very sick families to take care of ourselves. Trent is so good with vivid imagery and while it was a difficult read I was honored to have been one of the first to read it.
February 12, 2024
I wanted to like this book, but instead I kept searching for a storyline that would hold it together. In the end I gave up on that endeavor, but it was long before the end of the book.
A memoir needs a central theme that holds it together and keeps the author and the reader focused. We were all invested in Tara Westover's education, for example, and we knew that from the beginning. It kept the story cohesive and kept us all focused on something other than simply "escape."
I felt as if the author of this one got caught up in recollection without trajectory.
I am aware that I read a pre-pub, so I sincerely hope that there is an intense editing process ahead to make this what it has the potential of being.
A memoir needs a central theme that holds it together and keeps the author and the reader focused. We were all invested in Tara Westover's education, for example, and we knew that from the beginning. It kept the story cohesive and kept us all focused on something other than simply "escape."
I felt as if the author of this one got caught up in recollection without trajectory.
I am aware that I read a pre-pub, so I sincerely hope that there is an intense editing process ahead to make this what it has the potential of being.
October 1, 2023
between two trailers is a memoir that follows Dana, more affectionately known as ‘Budge.’ Dana grew up with two severely mentally ill parents, her father ‘King’ struggled with schizophrenia and was a drug dealer in their small town. Her mother ‘Lady’ dealt with personality disorders and had an obsession with psychiatric care, despite never listening to doctors advice on her condition. Dana was constantly pulled between the two parents, we see her being a razor wielding 6 year old to a full grown woman constantly attending to her mothers every need. Dana truely had to learn to survive her childhood, relying on the care of her community and extended family to keep her afloat.
An incredible story of addiction, loss, trauma, mental illness and pure survival.
Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for the digital ARC <3
An incredible story of addiction, loss, trauma, mental illness and pure survival.
Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for the digital ARC <3
June 28, 2024
Wow. This one will stay with me for a while.
If you were engrossed with Educated (Tara Westover) Between Two Trailers will be equally as powerful.
If you were engrossed with Educated (Tara Westover) Between Two Trailers will be equally as powerful.
May 6, 2024
Repetitive and semi-pointless. We get it; you loved your parents and they were mentally ill. I do like the similes and metaphors but some people are going to think it’s overkill. Bare minimum, it’s hokey.
April 21, 2024
Reading the synopsis I was immediately intrigued. A preschooler dealing drugs?! That’s wild.
However, upon reading the book I found that it wasn’t holding my interest as well. The preschool drug dealer thing is a little blip at the beginning.
Doesn’t make it a bad book but I didn’t find myself looking forward to reading more. I’m glad Dana was able to get to a good place in her life.
Thanks to NetGalley, J. Dana Trent, and Convergent Books for the opportunity to read Between Two Trailers. I have written this review voluntarily.
However, upon reading the book I found that it wasn’t holding my interest as well. The preschool drug dealer thing is a little blip at the beginning.
Doesn’t make it a bad book but I didn’t find myself looking forward to reading more. I’m glad Dana was able to get to a good place in her life.
Thanks to NetGalley, J. Dana Trent, and Convergent Books for the opportunity to read Between Two Trailers. I have written this review voluntarily.
April 28, 2024
3.5 stars!
Dana lives with her parents, the Lady and King. The Lady has severe mental illness, never gets out of her bed and pays very little attention to Dana. King is a drug dealer, who employs Dana in helping him cut product and acting as a lookout. King is also a paranoid schizophrenic, who is unmedicated and often experiences delusions. Through poverty and neglect, Dana finds her way after the Lady decides to leave King, once and for all.
Thank you to @convergentbooks and @netgalley for my review copies! This memoir reminded me of Educated in some ways. It was so gritty and I couldn’t believe some of the things that Trent endured as a young child. She was so resilient and overcame so much. I liked the length, but wish we knew more about Dana’s successes as an adult today.
Dana lives with her parents, the Lady and King. The Lady has severe mental illness, never gets out of her bed and pays very little attention to Dana. King is a drug dealer, who employs Dana in helping him cut product and acting as a lookout. King is also a paranoid schizophrenic, who is unmedicated and often experiences delusions. Through poverty and neglect, Dana finds her way after the Lady decides to leave King, once and for all.
Thank you to @convergentbooks and @netgalley for my review copies! This memoir reminded me of Educated in some ways. It was so gritty and I couldn’t believe some of the things that Trent endured as a young child. She was so resilient and overcame so much. I liked the length, but wish we knew more about Dana’s successes as an adult today.
June 2, 2024
Interesting memoir. The author is an ordained Baptist minister, motivational speaker and now an author. This book tells the unbelievable tale of her childhood. She is the daughter of two mentally ill adults who were also drug addicts. The story of Dana’s dysfunctional upbringing was so sad and unbelievable that it was hard to read and comprehend at times. How the parents were allowed to keep this child was just unfathomable. They couldn’t even take care of themselves, much less a child. I can’t believe the other relatives allowed it to happen either. Just very sad and yet remarkable that she became a college grad and respected member of society.
July 9, 2024
This memoir of a young girl being raised by two parents with severe mental health issues was really hard to read at many points. I was so sad reading about her young years that I considered not finishing. I'm glad I did. Dana finds love from her family and family friends, strength within herself and finds a way to create a beautiful life for herself.
This memoir could be a helpful read to someone else struggling to find a light at the end of the tunnel... Dana is proof that it's worth the effort. Her get up and go never got up and went.
This memoir could be a helpful read to someone else struggling to find a light at the end of the tunnel... Dana is proof that it's worth the effort. Her get up and go never got up and went.
July 27, 2024
I was really intrigued and excited by this memoir, and it just didn’t grip me. It feels weird critiquing a memoir because it’s a life story, but there was no real narrative or overarching conflict. I struggled to finish it.
June 13, 2024
A woman’s account of growing up with her mentally unstable parents. Her extended family was able to give her much needed support. A subtext was religion- she got her PhD at Duke in religion but she never really wrote anything about. I found that really bizarre.
May 4, 2024
4.5 🌟 but rounding up. Even though this took me forever to finish, it had nothing to do with the actual book. Loved her writing style and the way she communicates all this batshit crazy stuff; you forget that this is all in the perspective of a whole child.
June 9, 2024
Omg I loved this! This memoir is a great representation for grown children who finally reach a place in their mind that finally gives them the freedom from guilt and shame over the things they can not control. Dealing with your parents and the trials and tribulations of having parents with mental illness and addiction can lead to some mental health issues of your own and pain and resentment but the day you can forgive and understand they did the best they could considering all the various situations they faced is a great marker of personal growth. Some of us can pull out of it positively and I think this is a great way to show others who've gone through the same things how to shift to a more positive outlook depsite a life full of absolute bullshit. Kids are resilient and will find beauty where others think there isn't any. Great read!
April 16, 2024
On the surface, J. Dana Trent's memoir tells the dramatic story of a childhood with two mentally ill, addicted parents. There's a deeper story here, too, that should be relatable to anyone who has ever questioned what it means to call a particular place your home.
I grew up with a similar family dynamic, and the emotional tone of the book rang true to me. Trent is a fantastic, detail-oriented writer who interweaves multiple places and timelines into a moving narrative that made me sob like a baby at the end. This was a great read!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Convergent Press for providing me with an ARC copy of Between Two Trailers to review.)
I grew up with a similar family dynamic, and the emotional tone of the book rang true to me. Trent is a fantastic, detail-oriented writer who interweaves multiple places and timelines into a moving narrative that made me sob like a baby at the end. This was a great read!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Convergent Press for providing me with an ARC copy of Between Two Trailers to review.)
April 13, 2024
Dana Trent is named for her town, Dana, Indiana. Her early memories are cutting marijuana with a razor blade, assisting her father in his drug dealing business. Her parents met in a psychiatric treatment facility. Her mother was nicknamed The Lady, and her dependent personality disorders caused continual havoc. Her father, nicknamed The King suffered from schizoaffective disorder which led him to make poor choices. The “only difference between the two was that his symptoms were unmistakeable.”
Both of them had college degrees. The King had degrees and skills and licenses to work anywhere else, he always came back to his hometown. Her mother also found work in the health sector. Her parents were moody, anxious, volatile and unregulated but they never beat her and food was never out of reach.
Her early home was a beat-up trailer which her mom called a shotgun house because if their enemies fired a shotgun down through the kitchen window they would drop like flies. Dana at one point had a thousand residents and thrived as a agriculture hub. It had an opera house, a theater, a bank, and churches that were busy and faithful. But prosperity is always temporary.
Home, Dana writes, “was there all along in my two very loving and very unconventional yet faithful parents, who believe in miracles. I am their miracle. I am their legacy. They are my home. Home, it turns out, is where the war is. It’s also where the healing begins.” Thank you to NetGalley for permission to read this delightful memoir.
Both of them had college degrees. The King had degrees and skills and licenses to work anywhere else, he always came back to his hometown. Her mother also found work in the health sector. Her parents were moody, anxious, volatile and unregulated but they never beat her and food was never out of reach.
Her early home was a beat-up trailer which her mom called a shotgun house because if their enemies fired a shotgun down through the kitchen window they would drop like flies. Dana at one point had a thousand residents and thrived as a agriculture hub. It had an opera house, a theater, a bank, and churches that were busy and faithful. But prosperity is always temporary.
Home, Dana writes, “was there all along in my two very loving and very unconventional yet faithful parents, who believe in miracles. I am their miracle. I am their legacy. They are my home. Home, it turns out, is where the war is. It’s also where the healing begins.” Thank you to NetGalley for permission to read this delightful memoir.
October 30, 2023
I typically do not rate memoirs because it seems a bit sanctimonious however since
this download is offered by Convergent Books, via NetGalley, I’m happy to share my
thoughts about the presentation, if not the story.
First of all, I’m often drawn to titles with their cover art, and this book jumped out
at me. The title and artwork captured me before I’d even looked at the description.
Now, having finished the book, I’m struck by how miraculous it is that a small child,
especially this child, was able to be the parent in her family and have silent influences
that ended up not just saving her, but giving her the internal fortitude to absolutely
soar to unbelievable heights-all while caring for her mother, and managing her father.
At times the story is a challenge- when you’re just afraid for the family, and not just
their mental health, but their freedom.
To make it to the end of the story is like a double rainbow of sorts. I absolutely
recommend this book. And my thanks to Convergent Books, via NetGalley, for
a download copy for review purposes.
this download is offered by Convergent Books, via NetGalley, I’m happy to share my
thoughts about the presentation, if not the story.
First of all, I’m often drawn to titles with their cover art, and this book jumped out
at me. The title and artwork captured me before I’d even looked at the description.
Now, having finished the book, I’m struck by how miraculous it is that a small child,
especially this child, was able to be the parent in her family and have silent influences
that ended up not just saving her, but giving her the internal fortitude to absolutely
soar to unbelievable heights-all while caring for her mother, and managing her father.
At times the story is a challenge- when you’re just afraid for the family, and not just
their mental health, but their freedom.
To make it to the end of the story is like a double rainbow of sorts. I absolutely
recommend this book. And my thanks to Convergent Books, via NetGalley, for
a download copy for review purposes.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
January 5, 2024Just couldn't get into this one. The concept is intriguing, but the way it's written is so detached and bizarre that I couldn't connect with it.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
June 12, 2024
Free Advanced Review Copy
Between Two Trailers by J. Dana Trent was the book equivalent of your friend saying "have I got a story to tell you?!?" and then sharing a humdinger for the sake of info exchange.
The author, who goes by "Dana" in the book, has very clearly led a heavily traumatic, exciting, undeniably unique, and often heartbreaking life. Between Two Trailers takes us along on her journey, starting in childhood, ending in her 40's (in what sounds to be almost modern day). This book is written in clear and concise prose, paced absolutely perfectly, and was very captivating to me because her life sounds to have been very different from my own.
Yet, I cannot say that this book was written for a purpose outside of telling her tale. Unlike many non-fiction stories, there isn't much by way of delving into what this journey has taught her about life. This book is tale heavy and reflection light. Which is completely okay, but for me resulted in a feeling of almost repetitiveness because while the happenings changed, the overarching theme stayed the same. To be fair, the reader can glean some lessons-learned including recognizing the difficulty of living with both overt and more cover mental illnesses and mental health issues, the importance of family and other support systems, the idea of parents generally doing the best they can with what tools they have been given. We can also see the broad impacts of trauma and the inherent survival instinct in children just from the very narrative of Trent's tale. Still, when all was said and done, I did find myself lightly wondering why this author was inspired to write this book ( aside from the personal healing that comes with identifying and sharing trauma).
All in all, this book was a fascinating look at a unique and chaotic life. If hearing a wild story is of interest to you, this might be a good fit. (If your life was traumatic, unique, and / or chaotic, I would recommend passing because there isn't much to receive here aside from hearing another's tale of misfortune and survival.)
Thanks so much to Convergent Books and Netgalley for this free advanced review copy!
TW: poor mental health, untreated mental illness, disassociated parenting, drug use / abuse, alcohol use / abuse
Between Two Trailers by J. Dana Trent was the book equivalent of your friend saying "have I got a story to tell you?!?" and then sharing a humdinger for the sake of info exchange.
The author, who goes by "Dana" in the book, has very clearly led a heavily traumatic, exciting, undeniably unique, and often heartbreaking life. Between Two Trailers takes us along on her journey, starting in childhood, ending in her 40's (in what sounds to be almost modern day). This book is written in clear and concise prose, paced absolutely perfectly, and was very captivating to me because her life sounds to have been very different from my own.
Yet, I cannot say that this book was written for a purpose outside of telling her tale. Unlike many non-fiction stories, there isn't much by way of delving into what this journey has taught her about life. This book is tale heavy and reflection light. Which is completely okay, but for me resulted in a feeling of almost repetitiveness because while the happenings changed, the overarching theme stayed the same. To be fair, the reader can glean some lessons-learned including recognizing the difficulty of living with both overt and more cover mental illnesses and mental health issues, the importance of family and other support systems, the idea of parents generally doing the best they can with what tools they have been given. We can also see the broad impacts of trauma and the inherent survival instinct in children just from the very narrative of Trent's tale. Still, when all was said and done, I did find myself lightly wondering why this author was inspired to write this book ( aside from the personal healing that comes with identifying and sharing trauma).
All in all, this book was a fascinating look at a unique and chaotic life. If hearing a wild story is of interest to you, this might be a good fit. (If your life was traumatic, unique, and / or chaotic, I would recommend passing because there isn't much to receive here aside from hearing another's tale of misfortune and survival.)
Thanks so much to Convergent Books and Netgalley for this free advanced review copy!
TW: poor mental health, untreated mental illness, disassociated parenting, drug use / abuse, alcohol use / abuse
April 11, 2024
First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley, Convergent Books and Dana Trent for this wonderful ARC.
In the 1980s, Dana grew up in a broken down trailer with her parents, "King" and "the Lady". Both of who were struggling with their own addictions, trauma, and mental health conditions. This left Dana mostly neglected by the both of them. By the age of four, Dana was sitting at the counter trimming up bricks of marijuana with her father and helping him sell his drugs. When she was six years old, the Lady took Dana away from the only home that she had known, leaving her father behind. Her and her Mother moved to North Carolina where everything seemed to get more difficult for Dana. She lived in constant fear of abandonment by the only parent she had left. She grew anxious, confused, and lonely. In her adult years, she understood that in order for her to move forward and accept herself, she needed to make peace with her past.
Trent had a truly remarkable childhood. Bearing witness to her living through so much neglect and poverty was heartbreaking and yet fascinating to read about. Some of the writing felt choppy and jumped around. I felt like we did go down many tangents that really lead to nothing, which would make it difficult to follow the story line but overall, I still enjoyed the journey.
To read more of my book reviews please visit my website, The Shelf Life Books.com
In the 1980s, Dana grew up in a broken down trailer with her parents, "King" and "the Lady". Both of who were struggling with their own addictions, trauma, and mental health conditions. This left Dana mostly neglected by the both of them. By the age of four, Dana was sitting at the counter trimming up bricks of marijuana with her father and helping him sell his drugs. When she was six years old, the Lady took Dana away from the only home that she had known, leaving her father behind. Her and her Mother moved to North Carolina where everything seemed to get more difficult for Dana. She lived in constant fear of abandonment by the only parent she had left. She grew anxious, confused, and lonely. In her adult years, she understood that in order for her to move forward and accept herself, she needed to make peace with her past.
Trent had a truly remarkable childhood. Bearing witness to her living through so much neglect and poverty was heartbreaking and yet fascinating to read about. Some of the writing felt choppy and jumped around. I felt like we did go down many tangents that really lead to nothing, which would make it difficult to follow the story line but overall, I still enjoyed the journey.
To read more of my book reviews please visit my website, The Shelf Life Books.com
May 13, 2024
A Heartfelt and Cathartic Read: "Between Two Trailers" Review
"Between Two Trailers" is a memoir that has left an indelible mark on my heart. I've searched for a book like this in countless others, and finally, I've found it. Dana's writing is masterful, weaving a narrative that's both poignant and empowering.
As I turned the pages, I saw myself in the author's story. The author's vulnerability and courage in sharing their trauma resonated deeply with me, and I felt seen and understood in a way that few books have achieved.
What struck me most was the Dana's productive approach to addressing their trauma. This memoir is a testament to the human capacity for resilience and growth. The writing is evocative, relatable, and engaging, making it easy to become fully invested in the story.
"Between Two Trailers" is a must-read, at least once in your life. It's a reminder that our stories matter, and that healing and growth are possible.
In short, I loved this book, and I'm grateful to have found it.
"Between Two Trailers" is a memoir that has left an indelible mark on my heart. I've searched for a book like this in countless others, and finally, I've found it. Dana's writing is masterful, weaving a narrative that's both poignant and empowering.
As I turned the pages, I saw myself in the author's story. The author's vulnerability and courage in sharing their trauma resonated deeply with me, and I felt seen and understood in a way that few books have achieved.
What struck me most was the Dana's productive approach to addressing their trauma. This memoir is a testament to the human capacity for resilience and growth. The writing is evocative, relatable, and engaging, making it easy to become fully invested in the story.
"Between Two Trailers" is a must-read, at least once in your life. It's a reminder that our stories matter, and that healing and growth are possible.
In short, I loved this book, and I'm grateful to have found it.
December 22, 2023
I received a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Trent's memoir is an open and honest, yet compassionate, memoir of growing up as the child of parents with mental illness and addiction in flyover country. She often lived in poverty, in dilapidated trailers or small apartments, and often left responsible for the emotional needs of her parents. She was exposed to danger and violence and neglected in many ways. Despite all of these challenges, she clearly has great love for her family and extended family and writes without bitterness or anger. As an adult, Trent became a minister (which I did not know prior to reading the book) but she never preaches or writes in a sanctimonious manner. Trent has a particular gift for depicting the larger than life "characters" of her life and the book was an enjoyable read despite her many hardships.
Trent's memoir is an open and honest, yet compassionate, memoir of growing up as the child of parents with mental illness and addiction in flyover country. She often lived in poverty, in dilapidated trailers or small apartments, and often left responsible for the emotional needs of her parents. She was exposed to danger and violence and neglected in many ways. Despite all of these challenges, she clearly has great love for her family and extended family and writes without bitterness or anger. As an adult, Trent became a minister (which I did not know prior to reading the book) but she never preaches or writes in a sanctimonious manner. Trent has a particular gift for depicting the larger than life "characters" of her life and the book was an enjoyable read despite her many hardships.
April 6, 2024
Between Two Trailers was SO GOOD!
I can't wait to recommend this to all of my memoir lovers., and I suspect this may end up on Obamas reading list for 2024. Dana begins this memoir when she is in preschool and helping her father, a diagnosed schizophrenic, run drug deals in their small town. Meanwhile her mother, who has her own personality disorder is languishing away in bed for years before she leaves taking Dana with her and leaving Dana's only home and family behind.
What follows is years of parenting upward in unstable situations, while Dana essentially raises herself.
Booksellers this is the perfect hand sell for readers who like Educated and The Glass Castle.
This digital review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Convergent books for my review copy!
I can't wait to recommend this to all of my memoir lovers., and I suspect this may end up on Obamas reading list for 2024. Dana begins this memoir when she is in preschool and helping her father, a diagnosed schizophrenic, run drug deals in their small town. Meanwhile her mother, who has her own personality disorder is languishing away in bed for years before she leaves taking Dana with her and leaving Dana's only home and family behind.
What follows is years of parenting upward in unstable situations, while Dana essentially raises herself.
Booksellers this is the perfect hand sell for readers who like Educated and The Glass Castle.
This digital review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Convergent books for my review copy!
November 12, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I had a hard time getting into this book. I'm not sure why. Maybe the writing style. Maybe something else. But I'm glad I kept reading because it did get a lot better.
I've read a lot of books about children growing up with mentally ill parents but nothing quite like these parents who used their child as a drug trafficker. I'm amazed the parents didn't get caught and their daughter taken away from being around all the drugs and slum trailers.
The dynamic between Dana and her parents was fascinating to me.
I had a hard time getting into this book. I'm not sure why. Maybe the writing style. Maybe something else. But I'm glad I kept reading because it did get a lot better.
I've read a lot of books about children growing up with mentally ill parents but nothing quite like these parents who used their child as a drug trafficker. I'm amazed the parents didn't get caught and their daughter taken away from being around all the drugs and slum trailers.
The dynamic between Dana and her parents was fascinating to me.
Read
May 20, 2024Her upbringing is surreal. Raised by two individuals with mental illness and no love lost between them. Growing up in a drug trafficking trailer - cutting up, measuring and tagging along on drops, raised to be a people pleaser as she navigates the symptoms of their perspective diagnoses. This memoir is about an unconventional family, resentment, regret, learning to set boundaries and prioritizing self. Home is where the war is, where the healing begins.
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