Rating: 
Summary: I could not put this book down!
Review: I initially ordered Ms. Davidow's book because I have a baby daughter who also has a port wine stain on her face, and I look for anything that might help me be a better mom to her in the future. I expected to empathize with her story, but I did not expect to relate to it myself... but I found so many universal growing up experiences that are painful (with or without a birthmark). Her story of growing up with demanding parents, evolving into a people pleaser, then ultimately finding and honoring herself was captivating. Ms. Davidow does an excellent job bringing her life to print and including important little details that help the reader understand her reality. My only complaint is that there is a HUGE gap between college graduation and her starting laser treatments... maybe her life became boring during that timeframe, but I doubt it!!
I am making my husband read Marked for Life as well because he is convinced that our daughter's birthmark is "No Big Deal" too. Thanks for a great read!
Rating: 
Summary: Life unmasked!
Review: Joie Davidow has touched all us who deal with looking different!
Her brave words have set us all soaring!
I read this book in one sitting! As soon as I could get it away from my wife! I couldn't put it down! I kept cheering Joie on, applauding her success and crying over her hardships.
People of unique appearance will cheer after reading this and folks who must get through life looking normal will find so much to enjoy as well! ;) Just a fine book! Well done Joie!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and Entertaining
Review: Marked For Life is "about" a stigma as much as Moby Dick is about a whale; it is surely the central problem, but it is the journey wherein lies the story. The body and its frailties, its betrayals, and its reflection, for better or worse, on our selves is everyone's existential lot, and the pathos in the narrative both gives one perspective, and becomes a real life metaphor for the paradoxes we all live; experiencing pleasure and creative expression through our physical beings while conversely being confined, by gender, appearance, and longings that both drive us and make us want to scream to the void: "I am not this body!"
The "mark" has even broader implications as the author searches for ways to conceal as well as integrate the "problem" as she grows, reflected in the myriad ways the mark is gazed by different people in her life, parents, doctors, lovers and society itself over time and personal growth. The greatest irony of the story is that Ms Davidow is actually quite beautiful, as well as brilliant, but it is the refrain of the book:"If I had been born in another time, another place..." which reminds us of the fragility that physicality burdens us with, and how lucky we are to be here now.
Rating:
Summary: Cannot put this book down!
Review: Marked for Life is a fascinating memoir of a young woman who finds herself constantly reminded of, and dealing with her difference from WASP society - most obviously by her port-wine stain birthmark, but also because she is a Jew from small-town New Jersey. Joie has a natural gift for storytelling, weaving a tapestry depicting her family and social environment, gradually and gracefully exposing the family and societal truths that form her view of her world and herself. I found myself laughing, crying, and cheering for Joie as she eventually discovers her best assest in life - herself.
Rating:
Summary: Could not put this book down
Review: MARKED FOR LIFE is one of those books that stays with you for a long time. I could not put it down once I started reading it. It is much more than just the story of someone with a port wine stain--it is a story about the growing pains that we all feel in life and the attempts we make to fit in. I recommend this book to anyone who believes that real life stories are more interesting than any fiction. Joie is a talented storyteller and you can't help rooting for her throughout this touching and well-written book. I especially recommend this book for all young women. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous, emotional book - I stayed up all night to read it!
Review: MARKED FOR LIFE tells the story of a person whose has a big flaw on their face -- but underneath that story is the story of Humankind -- we all have a big flaw. This book stired up my emotions -- like all of us, I have my flaws. I cried reading this book, also laughted, and remembered growing up. This book took me through my childhood - like us all I had my share of slurs from other kids. It also resonated with me as a woman growing up in the 60s and 70s -- this college story rings true to me. I strongly recommend this book to women -- (and guys too) -- buy it and enjoy a really wonderful book. I have already lent it once to a friend and I want my 3 daughters to read it. Do yourself a favor -- buy this book!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and Entertaining
Review: Ms. Davidow is an avid storyteller who has bared her soul to allow us the opportunity to examine the life of someone living with a port wine stain. The birthmark is secondary to the obstacles that probably faced many Jewish women growing up where she did and when she did. I applaud her for her honesty and trust. As someone who has also grown up with birthmarks I can appreciate the pain she has felt, the stares she has endured, and the longing to "be normal" that is evident in her story. Great book; Great person.
Rating:
Summary: Very touching and well written
Review: Ms. Davidow's style of writing is amazing. Her story of growing up with a facial port wine stain is touching yet poweful. She speaks about her fears-afraid no one will love her because of the "purple mark" on her face- she speaks about how she painstakingly learned how to apply "the mask" so no one will stare or ask questions. What is so aspiring is that she came to realize that she is not alone and people can and will accept her when she lets them see her without makeup. I was unable to put this book down !!! Even if you do not have a pws, you can and will relate to her feelings.Many of her life experiences are very familiar to those who do not have a pws. It also gives you hope to know that she is a successful business woman that has risen above all the negativity that she has experienced. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration for us all
Review: Up there with the best of biographies and memoirs that I have read over the years. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Joie's "mark" is a metaphor for any handicap, ailment, visible or not that one needs to overcome to live a full life. An inspiring story that would also be an important addition to any school reading list. I highly recommend it to any adult needing a boost. The surprisingly upbeat story is about a determined, brave, talented and dynamic young woman who can inspire anyone to find a way to pursue their dreams.
Rating:
Summary: Port Wine Stained
Review: Who would imagine that a memoir about a rare form of birthmark commonly referred to as a "port wine" mark would be impossible to put down? Joie Davidow's lover during college chose her over a "certified genius" girlfriend from his hometown. Joie Davidow may not be "certified," but she certainly demonstrates creative genius. In writing about the stigma of growing up with a dark purple "handprint" over half her face, Ms. Davidow also manages to mirror the larger "print" of civilization and its consideration of who passes the "test" for perfection. For example, Ms. Davidow, then a young teen who hates being asked, "What happened to you?" asks an elderly woman why she has a number tatooed onto her arm. The book tells about growing up Jewish in a small mostly non-Jewish town where one isn't to make a "big deal" over anything, including the purple mark; what this means is that she is not to show her feelings about anything. When she first falls in love, her father makes that a very big deal. He (...) stops speaking to his young and rather innocent daughter (other than to insult her), another "mark for life" in terms of her relationships with men. Her training as a singer is also fascinating. If all of this sounds rather heavy and intense, the reader should know that Ms. Davidow has a wonderful and subtle sense of humor. Her writing sings.
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