In this expansive memoir, Slavova recounts her life from her childhood in Bulgaria to her present life in Los Angeles. Born in 1977, the author grew up with her sister, Luiza, a disciplinarian mother, and a gentle father. After her Olympic judo dreams were crushed in a car accident involving her boyfriend, Slavova made her escape to work on a French cruise ship. Her career as a cruise ship housekeeper was cut short when she stood up to an abusive boss, leading to her arrest in Puerto Rico. After escaping the police, she found work, but her boss discovered a warrant for her arrest. Slavova escaped again to the small island of Vieques. There, the author was able to thrive for several years before meeting the enigmatic James, one of the terrible men who mark the transitions in her narrative. In the course of her tumultuous journey, the author traded hospitality work for modeling, acting, and even running her own wedding-planning business. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her relationships were tested, and she realized what was truly important in her life. Slavova makes some intriguing writing choices, such as starting her story in media res with the car crash that ended her judo career, but many of the surprising events in her history are rushed in the telling and lack detail. For example, while on the cruise ship, Slavova recalls how she “found family in strangers” she met, yet the book has no specific examples of this happening, making the claim feel empty. The author too often relies on sentimental cliches; she concludes one chapter with the maxim, “In the darkest moments, even a single glimmer of light can be enough to save you.” Still, Slavova’s story is compelling, and even inspiring in the end.