Overall, what do you think of Coming Clean?
Created: 05/20/13
Replies: 34
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Join Date: 05/24/11
Posts: 62
I was so surprised at how engrossed I was in this book. I was very skeptical when I received it and thought it was going to be more fluff writing. It was a very sincere, well written, memoir of the author's life and exposed a debilitating mental illness/disease that I knew nothing about.
Join Date: 05/24/11
Posts: 62
I was so surprised at how engrossed I was in this book. I was very skeptical when I received it and thought it was going to more fluff writing. It was a very sincere, well written, memoir of the author's life and exposed a debilitating mental illness/disease that I knew nothing about.
Join Date: 10/18/12
Posts: 10
Similar to Marys' comment above, I was not expecting to be as engrossed in the book as I was. I thought that the author did a great job of letting you know just how difficult her life was without ranting about her parents. So often difficult memoirs spend a lot of time complaining about their situaion. I do understand that some situations deserve to be ranted about, but it does not alway retain my interest. She was so careful to let you know how much she cared about her parents. I thought that was quite special.
Join Date: 08/04/11
Posts: 27
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fascinating to learn about the way Kim's parents lived. Once I started reading the book I couldn't put it down; I was finished with it three days after it arrived. I think one of the reasons I liked it so much was because, unlike a novel, I was reading the truth of Kim's upbringing.
Join Date: 12/04/11
Posts: 4
Join Date: 08/04/11
Posts: 27
I count this book among the top ten books I've read this year. It was informative about the hoarding disorder, but it was written in such a personalized manner that I began to feel sorry for Kim. She tried so hard to help her parents, to no avail and she still kept on trying.
Join Date: 05/19/11
Posts: 93
Looks like most of us were surprised at how enjoyable it was. It was informative about hoarding, but the best part of the book was the relationships that she and her parents had. It was a warm book with these undertones of dysfunction that made you feel for the characters rather than dislike them. Kim was a trooper! I certainly would recommend it.
Join Date: 03/25/13
Posts: 14
Join Date: 07/29/13
Posts: 2
I had some difficulty to gain any interest when I began to read this book; however, one afternoon I just began to read and could not put it down until it was finished that evening. Since the production of a variety of TV series exploring hoarding, I am hooked watching these shows. I can't decide if I feel empathy or rage towards these poor souls that can't seem to let go of anything. I believe the author has a long path to good mental health despite the publication of her story. I sense she has still not come to terms with her past.
Join Date: 06/16/11
Posts: 410
I enjoyed this book for all the insight into what hoarding is, the impact it has on the quality of life, and the huge stress it can put on children in the situation, particularly when it is as out of control as it was for Kim.
I was so horrified by the conditions in which she lived and how it so forced her to lead a double life as a school girl just to avoid being a total outcast. She was incredibly strong and brave and though frustrated almost constantly she knew how much her parents loved her and she never hated them or abandoned them.
Join Date: 08/23/11
Posts: 73
When I started reading it, I was afraid that it would be boring since it started off with short sentences, like "I did this" and "I did that". I kept with it and became engrossed in it and don't even remember if the writing improved. The content was really interesting. I haven't seen any of the reality TV shows about hoarding, and until I read this, I thought my own parents were hoarders. It appears that they are just messy and unorganized, and I went through nothing near what this poor girl went through.
Join Date: 05/26/12
Posts: 84
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Coming Clean. I've seen several episodes of the TV show Hoarders and it just makes me sad and kind of angry. Coming Clean gave me a view that made me feel more sympathetic.
I wonder how the families of other hoarders feel when reading the book. Is their experience much the same or very different?
Join Date: 07/29/13
Posts: 3
I didn't expect to like this book at all, like most of you, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The writing is crisp and clean and Kimberly Miller wove an interesting tale about her real life experiences with parents who were not only hoarders but had other problems besides. I am impressed at how she has been able to rise from the ashes, so to speak, and move above and beyond what her childhood was like and do it so well. Kudos to Ms. Miller for not only writing a very readable book but also for making sure her adult life was healthier and hopefully happier.
Join Date: 06/15/11
Posts: 229
Join Date: 04/22/11
Posts: 24
I was horrified to read what this little girl , then young adult, went through while growing up. I also was pained to read how she had to lie & hide about what was going on inside her home. However, I kept reading & was riveted .
This is an important book for anyone who works with children to read. This is an issue that is not openly addressed among educators & it should be. Kim's memoir might pave the way for change in this area!
Join Date: 10/25/12
Posts: 65
Join Date: 08/04/11
Posts: 27
Join Date: 04/12/12
Posts: 294
I really liked this book. I found it was actually hard to put down. Kim really made her life seem real to me. The thing that I liked the most was how she described the hoarding but still loved her parents and connected with them. It was a very hopeful book. Kim's fortitude and courage to rise above her parents' disease was inspiring. Before reading this, I have been trying to downsize. Now I think I better put more effort into it.
Join Date: 11/03/11
Posts: 3
Join Date: 03/13/12
Posts: 564
I am glad that I read the book and found parts of it very interesting. I would not say I "loved" this book by any means. However, I think it is very worthwhile and honest. I think it could be a helpful book for teenage and/ or college psychology classes.
Join Date: 06/18/11
Posts: 25
I looked forward to reading this book, and I really found it interesting. I have seen a few hoarding shows on TV and they always seem to be about older folks. I had never imagined what it would be like to be a child in that situation. The author is so open and honest about her past, and I admire her ability to see how much her parents loved her in spite of the neglect and abuse. I can imagine that the child of an alcoholic parent might experience the same loneliness and shame. I found the book to be thought-provoking, and I believe it would be a good book group book.
Join Date: 08/04/11
Posts: 27
I was really fascinated by this book. It was surprising to me that Kimberly could write about her situation and still be kind to her parents. Time and time again, she helped them get new housing, helped them get rid of junk, etc. She was really invested in the messes they had created.
Join Date: 03/14/12
Posts: 6
I read the book hoping I would get some insight into the kind of life a young person I know has while living with a parent who isn't as bad as Kim's parents but who presents many of the same issues. As I read what it was like for Kim growing up I was filled with sadness and only hope the child I know has the kind of fortitude that Kim had to overcome her home situation. I did not quite believe how Kim still loved her parents since in the situation I am familiar with the child is already resentful and angry. This book provides a much more accurate description of hoarding than the television shows which are edited to only see the worst. There are many more facets to a family dealing with these kinds of behaviors.
Join Date: 05/19/11
Posts: 2
This book was an easy and interesting read. I defintely believe that hoarding is a 21st century disease. What I wonder about is...... during earlier periods of history, people did not have the means to accumulate "things". They did not have the funds, the space nor the time. Hoarding is evidence of deeper problems as Kim's father illustrates. So...how did these problems manifest themselves during earlier times? This theory is bourne out by the fact that Kim's parents received help at numerous times over the years, but reverted back to old habits. This story was thought-provoking. Most everyone hoards something, maybe not to the effect as illustrated in "Coming Clean." Any ideas or responses?
Join Date: 07/14/12
Posts: 99
I, like many others, thought it was well written. I have not watched hoarding shows, so was constantly horrified at the ongoing accumulations. The memoir did not address the "childhood accident" that had given her a small trust fund, and I wondered HOW her parents could pay for acting lessons, move, eat out, keep a car, etc. What funding was involved? She had an incredible childhood and brilliant, but sick parents. It's a triumph she survived and still loves them both. Initially I was very surprised her father was the hoarder. I had just assumed it would be her mother.
Join Date: 10/20/10
Posts: 23
Join Date: 06/12/13
Posts: 5
I agree with joanc. Truly if even those of us with what we consider normal american homes got rid of half of what we own, we probably wouldn't miss anything. What makes people hang on to the things they do is curious. I thought the book was very interesting. I am glad that the author also addressed her own issues. You can't survive a life that she had without scars.
Join Date: 05/10/12
Posts: 2
I have always been fascinated with hoarding--especially when that which is hoarded appears to be trash to the ordinary person. I often wonder how people can get so attached to "stuff". This memoir, while not answering those questions, certainly delves into the impact of hoarding on family members. The author's story was easy to read and helps us understand what an impact this psychological disorder can have on children. Miller is a survivor who is compassionate toward her parents even in her extreme frustration with them. It was an enthralling read.
Join Date: 12/03/11
Posts: 280
I too was surprised about how much I liked this book. I was a bit apprehensive to read it, as my father was a hoarder as well, though not to the extent that Kim's was (We did not have the rats and sludge in our house). Reading Kim's account helped me to understand my parents' situation better. I became quite engrossed in the book, and read it over the course of a round trip train journey.
Join Date: 07/31/11
Posts: 12
Join Date: 10/20/10
Posts: 23
Join Date: 08/08/13
Posts: 1
I'm glad to read that others in this forum question the author's memories vs the realities of her life. Once children are old enough to know that living in a garbage can ( did't they have a TV.) is not the norm, anger and bitterness towards parents is automatic. Cleaning the houses each time to save them from eviction indicates that the author didn't do research on what was wrong with her parents. At one point in the book, her Mother admits knowing that Kim would fix the problem. Sorry to say, her parents were selfish and manipulative, aside from using and abusing Kim, her friends and her Aunt. Hoarding doesn't go away when trash is thrown out. It's a chronic disease which requires ongoing professional therapy. I cannot understand how Kim separates the parents from their hoarding. She loves them even though they seemed to pick "things" over their daughter's well being. Kim is either a saint or not able to let the truth in. It would be too painful.
Join Date: 08/05/13
Posts: 3
Join Date: 04/27/11
Posts: 33
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