Like most things in this world, life itself is a mystery. We go through experiences without fully grasping their significance in our lives. Yet, their effects, often etched deep into our subconscious, play a huge role not only in shaping our perception of the world but also in how we interact with it. Being an LBTQ+ advocate, Delicia Niami recounts her experiences transitioning into adulthood in the 1980s and 90s as a lesbian, and daughter to a single mother. From moving out of her mother’s house after graduation from high school to traveling around Europe, and joining the University of California, Santa Cruz, while battling Crohn’s disease, Delicia spares no detail in her memoir Not My Circus. Open a copy to find out more.
Delicia Niami’s memoir Not My Circus is a must-read for lovers of non-fiction grief/hardship books with a historical and dramatic appeal. Niami’s raw, down-to-earth, and uncensored style of writing offers a connection to her experiences. I was given a glimpse into the tangled emotional space of a victim of child molestation, rape, childhood trauma, abandonment, emotional abuse, and a survivor of Crohn’s disease. Reading this book felt like going on a wild rollercoaster ride of emotions. The evocative depictions of the towns she has traveled to, alongside the richly culturally nuanced insights of the places, especially in Europe, had me feeling like I was next to her touring the amazing destinations. I have deep gratitude for Delicia for sharing this unique story of part of her life. This book brilliantly captures the power, emotional, and situational dynamics at play between the abuser and victim, raising awareness about the topic of abuse, and at the same time equipping the vulnerable with the courage and sound judgment to deal with or avoid abusive experiences.