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Book Review: My Bully, My Aunt, & Her Final Gift
by Harold Phifer
Editorial Book Review: By Morgan Smith
There is something raw and deeply moving about a story that shows how complicated family, pain, and personal growth can be. This book did just that by weaving together sad memories with times of healing and clarity. It tells the story of a youth tainted by abuse and mental illness. What struck me most was how the author was able to find meaning and growth in the worst situations.
What I liked most about this book was that it wasn’t afraid to talk about hard things, but it still gave me hope. Moving were the author’s thoughts of the bad relationships he had. But he didn’t get angry; instead, he used those problems to learn. This made the story into more than just a sad one; it showed how strong the human spirit can be in a powerful way.
The book’s handling of weakness and strength was one of its highlights. It did not make pain appear better or pretend to be something other than what it was. Instead, it expressed the truth about his pain and bewilderment. At the same time, it showed how those problems helped me grow as a person over time. Not often do you read a memoir that reads so much like a chat with the author—as if they were telling you their story in a way that only someone who has really dealt with their past could.
What really resonated with me, though, was the unexpected gift that came from those difficult experiences. As the author worked through trauma, he gained a better understanding of himself and learned how to go on with greater calm. This made the story about more than just survival, but also thriving. It serves as a reminder that, while we cannot change our past, we can use what we have learned to influence our future.
For anyone who has faced their own challenges—be it within their family or their own inner battles—this memoir offers both comfort and inspiration. It’s a heartfelt exploration of how we can transform our struggles into something meaningful. It’s a powerful read for anyone looking to heal or simply gain a deeper understanding of the strength it takes to overcome the hardest parts of life.
Reviewed by The Book Revue
Book Review: My Bully, My Aunt, & Her Final Gift
by Harold Phifer
Book Reviewed by Literary Titan
Harold Phifer’s My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift is an unfiltered, brutally honest reflection on his tumultuous relationship with Aunt Kathy, an overbearing, larger-than-life figure who left an undeniable mark on his life. The book weaves between past and present, recounting stories of trauma, manipulation, and resilience. Through humor, raw emotion, and biting wit, Phifer paints a vivid picture of a childhood filled with contradictions and his aunt’s relentless bullying juxtaposed with her unwavering Christian devotion. It all comes to a head when he’s called upon to eulogize the very woman who tormented him, forcing him to reckon with a past that never really let him go.
Phifer’s storytelling is electric. His words don’t tiptoe around the truth; they stomp in, slam doors, and demand attention. The book kicks off with a scene in war-torn Afghanistan, setting the stage for a life lived in extremes. Right away, his descriptions pull you into the chaotic streets, the noise, and the unpredictability of a place far removed from his Mississippi roots. And yet, it’s Aunt Kathy’s death that rattles him most. The way he describes her resilience, having “survived assaults, coronaries, fevers, famines, plagues, pandemics, strokes, and global warming for almost 100 years,” is equal parts hilarious and horrifying. You can’t help but laugh, even as you sense the deep scars she left behind.
What makes this book stand out is Phifer’s ability to balance pain with humor. He doesn’t just tell you that Aunt Kathy was overbearing; he shows you through her actions. Whether it’s her religious fanaticism, her disdain for the very people she claimed to serve, or the way she manipulated family dynamics, her presence looms large on every page. And yet, he finds absurdity in the tragedy. Take, for example, the moment when the pastor calls to inform him of her death. Phifer’s initial reaction isn’t grief; it’s disbelief that Aunt Kathy’s indestructible force is finally gone. That kind of honesty is what makes the book so compelling. It’s not sugarcoated. It’s not polished for the sake of sentimentality. It’s real.
Beyond the humor and sharp commentary, the book carries a deep emotional weight. Phifer doesn’t just recount his struggles; he confronts them. The tension with his brothers, the absence of genuine familial support, and the impact of generational trauma are all laid bare. The scenes leading up to Aunt Kathy’s funeral are particularly powerful. His struggle to reconcile his feelings, the absurdity of having to publicly praise someone who made his life miserable, and the chaotic nature of the funeral itself feel almost cinematic. He captures the dysfunction of family dynamics with an unflinching eye, making the book as much about survival as it is about storytelling.
My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift is for readers who appreciate memoirs that don’t shy away from the messiness of life. If you enjoy books with dark humor, raw honesty, and a narrator who tells it like it is, this one’s for you. It’s a wild, emotional, often hilarious ride through the complexities of family, faith, and finding peace in unexpected places. Phifer doesn’t ask for sympathy. He just lays it all out and lets the reader decide what to take from it. And in doing so, he’s crafted a memoir that lingers long after the last page.
Reviewed by Literary Titan
Book Review: A Fool Indeed
by Dean Conan
Book Reviewed by Clarence V. Reynolds
To say that Charles Fuller has a lot going on is putting it mildly. The one-time ladies’ man is newly married to a woman whom he has dedicated himself to. At the same time, he has started a business and is stoked about making it a success. And then there is the fact that he is on the hunt for the man who stole a huge amount of money from him. And if that isn’t enough, he suddenly must fend off a ruthless gangster who all-too eagerly wants to become a business partner. Charlie Mo has a full plate.
Charlie Mo had quite a few women in his past and has settled down and married Meghan. Even though he runs into some of old girlfriends, he is dedicated to get it right with Meghan and make his marriage to work. “How did I get so lucky?” he asks himself. When Meghan plans to open a boutique, Charlie wholeheartedly becomes protective and supportive without skipping a beat. Aside from satisfying his wife, Charlie’s other main priority is to make Charlie Mo’s Pack and Go, his moving company, a thriving business. With money he inherited from his deceased father’s funeral business along with his friend LaMarcus, they are working hard make Charlie Mo’s Pack and Go “the company of choice” in Texas. Adding to his days’ tasks, Charlie is determined to find Tin Can Stan, who was once like a father figure yet scammed more than a million dollars from him.
Soon enough, trouble raises its ugly head. First, Charlie hears that his former girlfriend Gabby was found dead, and he becomes curious about the particulars surrounding her death. He then begins receiving mysterious and salacious text messages from an Unknown Caller and wants to get to the bottom of it. While dining at an exclusive restaurant for a night on the town with Meghan, Charlie meets Dog Sugar, a notorious gangster who initially and aggressively wants to become his business partner.
After Charlie declines his offer, Dog Sugar aims to run him out of business and is determined to make Charlie’s life hellishly miserable.
Although “under Dog Sugar’s filthy hands and buzzard watch…he has the cops, politicians, judges, doctors, and the church in his back pocket,” many people want the ruthless gangster dead and gone. Charlie Mo and several acquaintances echo this sentiment, and they join alliances to take him down. The tricky part is that Charlie Mo doesn’t really trust everyone involved, including a long-ago girlfriend named Molly Hotsi Totsi, who is part of the scheme. What unfolds between the planning and the execution of the plan to take down Dog Sugar is what kept this reader turning the pages.
Dean Conan’s A Fool Indeed is the second book in the author’s The Fool’s Gold Chronicles series (Fool Me Thrice: Money Changes Everything is book one), and the plotlines and writing style hearken back to the 1990s and early 2000s when the urban or street lit/fiction genre was popular and booming. Many writers centered certain aspects and depictions of Black culture and life in their storytelling with unabashed authenticity and rawness. Profanity, gratuitous sex, and violence are usually on full display. The same goes here for A Fool Indeed. Though there are no heavy sociopolitical messages or memorable epiphanies here, what the reader comes to understand is that Charlie Mo’s story is one simply about reflection and atonement.
Conan’s plot is not too over-the-top when it comes to being a good guy defeats bad guy story. True love is at the story’s center. The short novel is loaded with many characters who make brief appearances to give the reader a hint of Charlie Mo’s past life that was mostly filled with partying, money, and women. (I chuckled at the names of some of his former partners: Restless Reva, Ice Cream Carmen, and Deadly Dominique.) Aside from the few grammatical missteps in the writing, the twists and turns in the storyline are entertaining and moments of suspense rise here and there, particularly about the plan against Dog Sugar. However, it is the fast-paced dialogue in A Fool Indeed that keeps the action moving and entices the reader to find out what happens next. It is total escapism from reading many of today’s news headlines.
Reviewed by Clarence V. Reynolds for AALBC
Book Review: Fool Me Thrice: Money Changes Everything
by Dean Conan
Book Reviewed by Carol Taylor
“No doubt, I was born a sucker—a sucker for a hot girl with a smile, that is. I have to admit I was abused by every gold-digger I came across. For as long as I can remember, I’ve chased the kitty, and it took me losing all my belongings to realize I had a problem.” So opens Conan’s sexy caustic tale of love, loss, and revenge, and what happens when they intertwine.
In Fool Me Thrice: Money Changes Everything, women are types who fall into categories, all of which revolve around money—mostly trying to get Charlie Mo’s money. Regardless if they are a former best friend, fixer, businesswoman, spiritualist, Christian, stripper, or Daddy’s girl, these types are all calculating, gold-diggers who use sex to achieve their aim.
Charles Fuller, Jr. known as Charles, the Mortician, or Charlie Mo for short, came into his family’s fortune after his parents were killed the night of his High School graduation by a drunk driver, his nemesis Dickie Beale. To add to Charlie’s trauma, because of his well-connected parents Dickie got off with only losing his license and a minor probation. After his parents’ death, Charlie, a pampered only child, was left with more money that he knew what to do with, and he only knew one thing to do with money. “I had no one around to remind me that the love of money was nowhere near as important as true love itself. Needles to say, it didn’t take long for my life to spiral out of control.”
The Fuller Funeral Parlor was the most successful mortuary in Houston, Texas, and Charlie Mo, the sheltered spoiled 21-year-old heir, with little to no impulse control, is woefully ill-equipped to handle his inheritance. Not long after his parents passing Charlie has plowed through the millions of dollars left to him. “With me in charge, the Fuller Funeral Home stayed on life support. I was too distracted for business and too determined to be with the next girl. No doubt, I wasn’t nearly as good with the parlor as my pops had been. My incompetence buried the family’s good image almost overnight.”
Charlie Mo soon finds himself broke and working for the city sanitation department under the supervision of his manager Tin-Can Stan—during work, his singing and clanging of the cans earned him the nickname. Tin-Can becomes something of a father figure to him. After accepting an invitation to dinner Charlie is surprised by Stan’s wealth. He has a large well-appointed home and history with Charlie’s dad. Charlie finds himself spending more and more time with Tin-Can’s family, and quickly falls for his daughter Gabby. At the same time he reconnects with his old friend, former tomboy Meghan who has filled out in all the right places. Charlie is smitten, at first mostly because she’s hot, but as luck would have it she’s dating his drug-dealing cousin Ron, who lives down the hall from him. This doesn’t stop Charlie, whose lack of both impulse control and common sense, makes him an easy target. He finds himself in a sexual relationship with both women and is equally torn between them. The choice is made even more difficult when he discovers that his father knew that he would burn through his inheritance and he set aside two million dollars in a trust fund for him when he turns 22, which will be in six months.
One day at work, Charlie recounts his past exploits with gold-diggers Mercedes, Chardonnay, Cinnamon, and Sweet Sugar Sarah to Tin-Can.
“So that’s my deal, Mr. Stan. All women want from me is money.”
“Charlie Mo, let me tell you about women. Women are unpredictable. They want what they want. Most of them are very smart about it too.”
“It’s all about money. It seems like every woman I come in contact with only wants money. For damn sure, I didn’t expect that.” Charlie responds.
“Why didn’t you expect that? Money is what you show them. It’s the first thing they see when looking at you. Why wouldn’t they want it?”… “See the smart thing is to have money and not look like it. Stack your dough and look broke. Best way to be.”
But will Charlie learn from his past and make better choices or is he doomed to repeat his mistakes and be fooled again?
Filled with sexual escapades and double entendres Fool Me Thrice is a light and fairly fast-paced read. If you don’t already know much about life and relationships, you might gain some insight: “Rich is loud. Wealthy is quiet.” And “Love was an action word. You can always tell how much someone loves you by their actions.” As I got to the rather convoluted twist ending, (which to Conan’s credit, I didn’t see coming) I kept wondering what did these women he had trysts with see in him to begin with? The answer is money. That’s what Charlie had to offer and why he kept running into the same type of woman. For him, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Fool Me Thrice, is a sexy story of how we can lose ourselves looking for love, if we think we have only one thing to offer. Although somewhat entertaining, if you are closer to 50 than 25, and have a more nuanced and layered understanding of relationships you won’t find much new here. But if you want a spicy and fairly fast read, light on emotional analysis and heavy on sexual escapades, this might be for you. Because withFool Me Thrice: Money Changes Everything, what is lost in Charlie’s lessons, is that in life, money doeschange everything, if money is what is most important to the people involved.
Reviewed by Carol Taylor for AALBC
Book Review: Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar
by Harold Phifer
Book Reviewed by Lesley Jones
Raised by a schizophrenic mother and a manipulating aunt in Mississippi, Harold’s childhood is fraught with consistent abuse and violence. He soon learns the art of becoming invisible and complacent to avoid the daily ritual of physical and emotional attacks, not only from those who should care for him but also from his older sibling and peers. Although Harold’s childhood is a constant battle to survive each day unscathed, he somehow manages to retain his humor and hunger to succeed. Surviving Chaos (How I Found Peace at a Beach Bar) by Harold Phifer is an inspirational and heartwarming story of one man’s journey to make sense of his chaotic and dysfunctional world with unwavering determination and optimism. Follow Harold’s horrifying story as he recounts the events and memories from the mayhem of his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. As Harold, now 56 years of age, recovers from a near-death experience in Afghanistan, he begins the long journey toward recovery and a peaceful future.
Surviving Chaos by Harold Phifer is a beautifully written memoir that will take you on a rollercoaster of powerful emotions. Harold is a natural-born storyteller as he invites you inside his world of betrayal, abuse, neglect, and triumph. I loved how the story, switching from past to present, lends the reader insight into Harold’s mindset at each stage of his life. The humor is superb; his attitude toward his lack of friends and his dog abandoning him made me laugh out loud. The characters are memorable, with larger-than-life personalities that leaped from the page, especially Flirty Shirley and Dead Eye Red. The story flowed perfectly and kept my interest. Some of the scenes of abuse were extremely hard to read, especially the manipulating mind games by his aunt. The relentless bullying and violence Harold suffers builds a strength of character that is extraordinary. However, the story reminds us that one event can trigger painful memories of the past if not addressed. Harold’s story is a beacon of hope that we can overcome adversity and regain our dignity, kindness, and resolve to find a positive future. Surviving Chaos is a compelling read.
Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite
My life was highly unusual but underneath it all I wanted to tell others about it. So, day after day I would envision how I would deliver my journey. The more I talked to myself about my situation, the more I began to feel I could put together real and imaginative concepts.
It’s been amazing! Even though I felt I had something that would touch others, I wasn’t sure it would connect with those that couldn’t relate. But readers love a good book and took to the way I relayed my history and perked their curiosity with my offbeat humor.
My travels made me realized I wasn’t poor compared to others in undeveloped countries. It stopped me from complaining and feeling bad for the way I was reared. Eventually, it left me with only one gripe versus the less fortunate. That being my mom’s mental schizophrenia. After all things said, it pointed loudly to “Harold just get over it!”
It’s a good hard escape! It’s a chance to be creative and venture into a world I was never a part of. So, in a since, life and dating may not be how I projected it for my character Charlie Mo, but it’s fun to build that world and those dynamics in “The Fool’s Gold Chronicles.”
For sure! Charlie Mo lost everything (family, money), and even his Loverboy mojo. A lot of people in real life are struggling to put together success, love, and family.
With social media, I get to be in a so many places, lots of threads, and constant conversations that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. Mind you, I request my subscribers, followers, and the audience to constantly “Like and Share” my content because they are helping to reach readers, communities, organizations, and book clubs at a level I could never afford.
Under Dean Conan, I’m hoping to drop the trilogy to “The Fool’s Gold Chronicles.” As for Harold Phifer, I have another personal story to release. Then, I’m hoping to do my first fiction under Harold Phifer.
Just start writing and keeping notes. Amazing when you sleep, stories and scenarios will flow through your head. As soon as you’re awake, jot down the things you remember. That itch to write will come. It may take a ton of drafts and a long time in months and years to formulate your story, but eventually you will get there. Remember to always believe in yourself and don’t let the criticism get you down. Critics are and can be an aid if you look at it with some form of optimism. Otherwise, seeing something they say negatively can defeat you. So, stay away from that angle.
Thank you as well! First, I hope all listeners will Like and Share my content as it appears on social media. Next, my website: RiseAndRead.com. While on my website, make sure to subscribe or just reach out and make contact. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or leave suggestions. No doubt, I can still use any and all comments to help me grow as well!
My social media: (Facebook and Instagram): HaroldPhifer2024
Twitter (X): @hephifer
Tik Tok: @hephifer6
Youtube: Harold Phifer
Amazon #1 Bestselling Author Delivers Raw, Unflinching Memoir that Transforms Pain into Powerful Life Lessons
BINGHAMTON, NY, UNITED STATES, June 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — In a literary work that defies conventional memoir boundaries, Harold Phifer confronts one of life’s most challenging dynamics: finding healing through the very relationships that caused the deepest wounds. His latest book, “My Bully, My Aunt & Her Final Gift,” has garnered critical acclaim for its unflinching examination of family dysfunction and the unexpected pathways to redemption.
The memoir centers on Phifer’s relationship with his late Aunt Kathy, described by the author as “the antithesis of positivity” in his life. Through a blend of dark humor and profound introspection, Phifer chronicles how planning his aunt’s memorial—an event that few seemed eager to attend—became an unexpected journey of self-discovery and healing.
Critics have responded enthusiastically to Phifer’s unflinching approach. Reviewer S.M. Harrison noted: “This was one of the most shockingly moving books I’ve read in a while. The humor, honesty, and emotional depth made it so.” The work has been particularly praised for the author’s courage in examining difficult family dynamics without sentimentality or blame.
Phifer’s approach to storytelling reflects his broader mission: demonstrating that resilience can emerge from the most challenging circumstances. “I wanted to expose the bullying, mistreatment, and favoritism that can occur within families,” explains Phifer. “Through it all, I wanted to show you can still survive and excel regardless of your experiences.”
The author’s background includes previous literary success with “Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at a Beach Bar,” and his work has been featured in prominent publications including New York Weekly and The American Reporter, which have documented his transformation from military service to bestselling author.
About Harold Phifer: A veteran storyteller and Amazon #1 bestselling author, Phifer brings decades of life experience to his writing. His work consistently explores themes of resilience, personal transformation, and the complex dynamics of human relationships. He maintains an active presence across multiple platforms, engaging with readers through Facebook, Instagram (@haroldphifer2024), Twitter (@hephifer), and TikTok (@hephifer6).
“Each poignant recollection offers another part of his childhood and how it irreversibly shaped his future strategy for a better, more exciting life. The book is a definite page-turner and keeps the reader wanting more from the author. It’s a lively, energetic tale that reads like a conversation as if you’re hearing the story first-hand from a friend or acquaintance.”
—Literary Titan on Surviving Chaos
“His narratives is interesting, and often much fun. … his tales are entertaining, sprinkled with humor, drama and sadness. Readers will discover an intriguing life, one of turmoil and finally, thanks to a stranger on a beach, inner peace.”
—Blue Ink Review on Surviving Chaos
“Surviving Chaos is light and gripping. It’s jam-packed with intriguing events that happened during the author’s childhood, teenage-hood, and adult life”
—OnlineBookClub on Surviving Chaos
For over a decade, Harold Phifer served in a war-zone as a contract air-controller in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay. He even survived a suicide bombing by the Taliban. But none of that was a s dangerous or stressful as his upbringing.
Phifer was a black kid growing up in the south during the tumultuous 1960s, dealing with racism and bullying in the streets, and abuse at home from his schizophrenic mother and dysfunctional, violent aunt. He felt like an outsider in and out of the house.
He tells a moving story in his newest book, My Bully, My aunt, and Her Final Gift. It comes on the heels of publishing his earlier book, Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace At A Beach Bar, which exposed a lot of people that affected the life of the author. Besides his problematic mother, Aunt Kelly left a lasting imprint.
“She was the opposite of all things positive,” says Phifer. “At the end of her twisted life it was painfully obvious to me that she deserved a book of her very own. The death of my evil aunt, allowed me to see myself while operating a door for my brothers and me.”
Most of the contents in this story are recreated from real-life experiences of a lost and misguided kid. Some things have been changed for the sake of a better read. Even though a tiny bit is pure bullshit, it’s all inspired by the events lived by a “lonely and determined little boy.”
“Yes, you will be shocked and amazed by the darkness and behaviors of a close blood relative,” says Phifer. “Look at it this way: Logic and Aunt Kathy never coexisted, whereas her philosophies and arbitrary enforcements, kept me off-balanced for much of my young life. Somehow, I survived the chaos, abuse, and despicable treatment then found another way. This story pulls back the covers to that sick, twisted, and formative relationship that I had to endure.”
“After experiencing the devilish deeds of my aunt, it was a challenge to give her a good send-off when she died,” shares Phifer. “I had grown apart from her clutches, so I had to find the decency to bury her with a matter of dignity that she didn’t deserve.”
Sometimes the death of a loved one can fix one’s pain. Her funeral turned into a bit of a comedy show. “The death of my evil aunt taught me a lot about grief, love, loss, resentments, and redemption,” says Phifer. “After her death, I was tasked with the job of putting together a memorial that no one wanted to attend.”
In My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift, Phifer revisits the complicated relationship he shared with his late Aunt Kathy, a woman who stood as the antithesis of positivity in his life. Despite her domineering and often cruel behavior, her passing left Harold with an unexpected opportunity for humor, healing, and reflection.
As he plans her memorial, Phifer’s childhood memories resurface, pulling him back into a world shaped by his aunt’s unpredictable rules and twisted philosophies. Blending heartfelt truths with laugh-out-loud moments, he weaves a tale of resilience, self-discovery, and ultimately, redemption.
This memoir offers a lighthearted yet honest look at how even the darkest relationships can leave behind gifts of wisdom and self-awareness.
“The peace-seeking memoir Surviving Chaos revels in the cathartic power of storytelling after a lifetime of challenging circumstances.”
—Foreword Reviews on Surviving Chaos
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