Jen Knox pulls no punches with her gritty, honest memoir, "Musical Chairs." From the first page, she tells her story of self-medication, mental illness and family problems in evocative prose reflective of her experiences.Knox is unafraid and unashamed of discussing the mistakes she makes after running away from home at the age of 15. From working miserable minimum wage jobs to stripping, her experiences run the gamut. Eventually she is able to attend college and earn a degree in English, which cements her story-telling skills beautifully for me.When Knox learns that her great-grandmother also left home at age 15 and had some difficulties that mirror her own, she explores her familial history of mental illness and addiction. That exploration is, apparently, what led to her writing a memoir so gripping that I finished it over the course of a day and a half.Well worth reading and highly recommended.
