From birth, Maude Julien's life was defined by the iron grip of her father, who was convinced that she was destined for great deeds. Of course, he alone would determine this and how she would be "trained" for this life and as a result, put her through an arduous (and I'd say pretty hellish) life to raise her as a "super human" being. Isolating Maude and her mother in a mansion in northern France, her father made her undergo endless tests, each more awful than the next.
I had seen a review of this book that compared to "The Glass Castle," and I admit, I was intrigued. I don't know if I want to ever read this book again, and I don't know if I'd suggest it to anyone else. I feel like it's an important memoir but I found a lot of it pretty horrific and sometimes, quite difficult to read. Maude does show that it's possible to overcome severe trauma and she shows that her passion for literature and music, and her love of nature, gave her the ability to survive and thrive. However, I don't enjoy reading about cruelty to animals or children, and admittedly felt like I wasn't quite prepared for this book. It was at times fascinating, but in the way that a particularly psychological horror movie is fascinating: you don't want to look, but you do anyway. The book is extraordinary, to be sure.
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