Book 90: Getting It Through My Thick Skull

Getting It Through My Thick Skull, by Mary Jo Buttafuoco

I was pretty young when the infamous “Long Island Lolita” case took over the media, and I didn’t remember any of the movies or coverage or interviews, so I went into this book with fresh eyes, and read an engaging, inspiring story.

Mary Jo’s incredibly honest about her life with Joey, from their early dysfunctional and yet happy marriage, when he first started exhibiting signs of being a sociopath. Only she didn’t know it at the time, and was concerned with keeping up appearances. She suffered through panic attacks, and a husband addicted to cocaine, while trying to raise two children. Every time she thought about leaving, when she couldn’t take Joey’s behavior anymore, he convinced her to stay.

Fast forward to being shot by Amy Fisher, and the horrifically difficult recovery. The physical problems were compounded by the media firestorm, and more of Joey’s bad behavior. Mary Jo, the real victim, ended up being pushed in the background while the antics of her husband and Amy took the forefront, giving Mary Jo no chance to tell her story. This haunted her for years.

Mary Jo spent the next decade plus trying to get some semblance of a normal life, eventually leaving her husband and learning how to heal from the scars that his behavior put on her soul. She tells her story honestly, describing her rehab for addiction to painkillers; the lonely, alcohol filled nights on her own; and slowly experimenting in the dating world again, learning to trust. She healed herself, and was rewarded with some incredible opportunities.

Mary Jo’s main point behind writing the book was to try to help other women and men trapped in marriages with sociopaths, and it’s an educational personal story.

4/5.