“Inspiring and reflective, A Smoke and A Song should be required reading for anyone looking within and beyond. Sherry Sidoti weaves us through a journey of self-discovery, heartbreak, and self-actualization. She brings to life each part of ourselves—the parts we know and the parts we have a harder time listening to—all in the name of self-love.”

“In this stirring debut memoir... She (Sidoti) ultimately makes peace with these past selves by discussing her traumas with her family and using various spiritual practices, including yoga, to remind herself that ‘new life is blooming. Loss is looming. And both gladness and grief grip at the gate.’ This is powerful stuff.”

"Sherry Sidoti’s wisdom and compassion are a powerful gift that she generously shares in this achingly beautiful story of loss, survival, and healing."

"A stylish and substantial remembrance with poignantly memorable characterizations."

"A Smoke and a Song will have you crying, laughing, and shaking your head in amazement as you follow along and become a part of Sherry’s story as the words draw you into her reality... This is a must-read for women from all walks of life who are looking for answers to the frequently asked question: Who am I, and what is my purpose? Please do not pass up this book, but put it on the top of your reading list as you will not regret it."

“A Smoke and a Song is a winning book! Sherry Sidoti’s prose is absolutely gorgeous—lyrical and tender, moody and insightful, mystical and relatable. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry. A memoir told with such nuanced self-awareness; you’ll find yourself needing to put the book down at moments just to pause, take in her reflections, and make meaning of your own story through hers.”

"Sherry Sidoti beautifully weaves together a deeply moving memoir that captures the many complexities of love and our relationship with the ones we care about the most.  I came away moved and inspired by her willingness to be so transparent and authentic.”  

“Earthy and magical, A Smoke and a Song is a woman’s anthem. With the heart of a mother and the soul of a warrior, Sherry Sidoti takes us on her unwavering quest towards self-agency—from maidenhood, through motherhood, into the wisdom years of cronehood— braiding music, poetry, art, culture, and mysticism with grounded spirituality and a wry New York City ‘edge. This story is steeped in healing tools from the author's decades of study and teaching, without being pushy or prescriptive. Sidoti trusts her readers to mine the raw ore from her story and polish it into gold for their own.”

“I discovered the poet Stanley Kunitz while I was a college student at NYU and his words saved my life; still do. All these years later, his granddaughter’s words are saving my life and if that isn’t magic, I dare you to tell me what is. By sharing her story, Sherry Sidoti invites us to remember what it is to love deeply and then to go out into the world with that knowing so that we can live big beautiful and messy lives.”

“Yearning and desire ooze from between the lines in this complicated family memoir exquisitely written by a New York City girl. Sherry Sidoti’s words pull us through her life stages with love, humor, and raw honesty as she seeks self-compassion. When you finish, you'll want to start all over again. A Smoke and a Song is that good.” 

“Through skillful and engaging storytelling, Sherry sheds light on the messy in-between of our deep desire for belonging, and the allure of letting it all go.”

“A seeker’s story of healing intergenerational trauma. In her unwavering commitment to heal, with body informed awareness, the author alchemizes inherited history to rewrite her own narrative breath by breath, beat by beat. Every broken family system has a healer. Sherry Sidoti is one.” 

"A Smoke and a Song makes me feel like I’ve stumbled upon a beautiful explorer’s locked diary and picked the lock. The narrative is both delicious and filled with disaster, careening at breakneck pace through a life fully engaged in raw, sensual, and inspiringly elevated consciousness. You’ll be completely riveted by Sidoti’s story—this book will help you see and digest the deepest questions and twists of your own life and relationships. It’s a book you will thrill to read and one you’ll keep close for a long time to come.”

“In lyrical, at times searing, prose, she captures her core loneliness. Her story is a riveting intergenerational tale of women doing the best they can, sometimes failing painfully.”