Ashley Hutchison

A Map to the Stars Ashley Hutchison

A portrait of a stolen childhood. Once upon a time, Avery lived in a place filled with family, magic, and love. It ended when her mother came for her. Ripped from the only home she ever knew, young Avery endures horrific exploitation, familial separation, and a childhood without the promise of a happily ever after. Part prose, part poetry - all primal scream - A Map to the Stars explores the acerbic betrayal of family, unthinkable abuse, and the search for what is left behind - if anything at all - amongst the stars. Ashley Hutchison pulls no punches in this fictionalized memoir of her childhood. Content Warning: LanguageChild NeglectChild AbuseAbandonmentReviews: "Rather than a linear attempt at retelling her story, in this stunning memoir, the author gives us snapshots into her mind at critical points both in a childhood cut short by parental neglect, lies, and betrayal, and as an adult, looking back and trying to make sense of tumultuous events long past. Written with a mix of poetic prose, poetry, and even that most prosaic form of communication, text messaging, each short passage is another window into the depth of hurt, anger, and lasting damage of a chaotic childhood governed by unreliable parental figures."- Helen Whistberry (www.helenwhistberry.com)"This is a portrait of a dysfunctional family, a painting of the scars of abuse. It follows the story of Avery's childhood, as Avery confronts the abuse and neglect of her mother, and the instability of her upbringing. In many ways it reads like the kind of letter that you write to the family you did not choose, but then the pain is too much to handle, the emotions too raw, so you burn up the letter and never send it. The story moves from poetry, to epistolary in text messages and emails, to prose, a collection of fragmented vignettes strung together as almost a therapeutic exercise."- Denise Ruttan (www.dnruttan.com)"I wholeheartedly enjoyed this story. It exudes honesty - it's beautiful, raw, dark, and heart-wrenching. It allows you to think about your own childhood and family, and how you may have been impacted by them. For a story that seems short, it's full of so much emotion. They tell you to read it all in one go, and I completely recommend doing so."- Emily Trupp (https: //emthewritinglich.wordpress.com)