Some memoirs are loud with drama. Stillness and Survival by Jacob Anthony Rose is powerful for the opposite reason—it tells the truth quietly and clearly.
The book begins with a painful childhood shaped by physical and sexual abuse, fear, and the belief that love had to be earned. Rose doesn’t soften these experiences or ask for sympathy. He simply explains how they shaped him, and how those beliefs followed him into adulthood.
What makes this memoir stand out is how healing arrives in unexpected ways. For Rose, drag became a lifeline. Through performance, music, and community, he found a voice that had been taken from him early in life. The stages of San Francisco’s queer nightlife became places of safety, expression, and self-worth.
Stillness and Survival is ultimately about learning that survival isn’t just about getting through the pain—it’s about reclaiming your voice and choosing yourself.
Read the full review here:
https://www.bookbelow.com/book-review/stillness-and-survival
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