The Girls of Usually
- 2015 INDIES Winner
- Bronze, Autobiography & Memoir (Adult Nonfiction)
Lori Horvitz may have started out as a shy Jewish girl from Long Island who loved her magic tricks and hated her frizzy hair, but her memoir-style reflections, The Girls of Usually, prove that she has come a long way since then, thanks to the crazy, incredible journey of her young-adult years. Raw and stirring, late teens, twenty-somethings, and older will appreciate the wisdom Horvitz shares about relationships, both physical and emotional, as she travels the world.
Often found hiding behind her camera, which she wields as both a gun and shield, Horvitz shares intimate details of her struggles with feeling like an “outsider,” “observer,” and even, at times, an “imposter.” Present and past events and perspectives intermingle, offering a rare, genuine look at one young woman’s quest to find peace with herself. Handling hot topics with sensitivity, humor, and honesty, Horvitz recalls the tumultuous emotions of early adulthood while dealing with a vast array of issues like bullying, racism, sexuality, and feminism, all while entertaining psychics, following the Grateful Dead, working on a kibbutz in Israel, and criss-crossing the globe, meeting and falling in and out of love with fascinating women. Ultimately, Horvitz learns to create a different sort of magic through her photography, creative writing, and music, all while standing confidently on her own two feet.
Reviewed by
Pallas Gates McCorquodale
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
