Andrea Stanfield

[My review originally appeared on Amazon.com.]

I always feel a little weird about giving a memoir a bad review, because this is a real person's life and my intention is not to review the person herself. But voice is such a huge part of memoir, and this author's voice did not leave a good impression on me. I had hoped it would be along the lines of Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale, Jr., because I like true crime books about extremely clever people who get away with things. This author is neither clever nor interesting, and the lies she told were just petty exaggerations about her education. It seems like she's bragging about 'getting away with' working really long hours and being schmoozy at her office job despite not having gone to college. People work long and hard with 'only' high school diplomas every day, so I am confused about why a publishing house thought it was noteworthy enough to turn into a memoir.

There was nothing unique about the author's story, and just because she made almost six figures a year doesn't mean her job was worth writing about. Worst of all, she constantly brags about her looks, intelligence, and leadership skills. On the other hand, it seems like her low self-esteem concerning her lack of a college education was the only reason she lied on her job applications in the first place. If it were more of a soul-searching memoir, this paradox could have been an interesting crux for the book, but her writing style is more suited to amateur journalism than creative memoir. The two most interesting parts of her story were glossed over -- her relationship with her sister, and her extramarital affair's effect on her second marriage… (more)