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Surviving My Birthright

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Surviving My Birthright

By: Casey Hammer, Heather McDonald - foreword
Narrated by: Casey Hammer
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About this listen

Revised by the author, Casey Hammer, with additional content. The original Surviving My Birthright has received a facelift and includes a foreword by Heather McDonald, actress, comedian, and host of Juicy Scoop. Reviews are by Edward Jay Epstein, author of Dossier: The Secret History of Armand Hammer, and Lauren Skae, @thezenblonde. Entrepreneur Romi Cortier adds his take on From the Inside Looking Out, a recap of Casey’s life. And lastly, Casey Hammer adds what’s to come and coming soon, featuring her new book Hammertime: Surviving & Thriving, along with poetry throughout.

The name Armand Hammer conjures up many aspirational ideals. Billionaire. Industrialist. Successful businessman. Philanthropist. Art collector. It sounds like the idealized American success story. However, the reality of growing up Hammer had a very dark side, with very real consequences.

Violence. Addiction. Abuse. These are just some of the realities that Casey Hammer, the only granddaughter of Armand Hammer, had to overcome. As dark as her recollections are, Casey is the embodiment of courage and strength. She weathered the storm and came out stronger on the other side. Hers is a story of survival, hope, and inspiration. Lift the veil and see the realities of growing up Hammer.

©2021 Casey Hammer (P)2022 Casey Hammer Abuse Dysfunctional Families Dysfunctional Relationships Parenting & Families Relationships Survival Celebrity Inspiring Funny
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I decided to purchase this book after seeing the Armie Hammer documentary. Although it started off okay there were too many contradictions that I ended up not finishing the book. Another issue was Casey’s voice in writing this book which wasn’t great.

Too many contradictions

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The story of Casey’s life is real and convoluted. You have to get past the fact that there was so much money involved in the family’s history (an empire built heavily on corruption, violence, blackmail and bribery) and that this alone paints everything she conveys in a strange colour of an unrealistic world for most people. Get past that in your mind and just listen to the core and essence of the story, it’s about unmasking a brutal and disgusting family, it’s about trying to figure out who she really was and is in the aftermath of abuse, rape, incest, abandonment, betrayal and mountainous pain. Don’t trivialize what she went through, regardless of how entitled certain expectations she had earlier in life may sound, they were real for her in the only backdrop she had as a life. Pay attention to the content in her story, not the packaging.
This is not a refined literary masterpiece by any means, but a story worth knowing.
I agree that the story deserves a more emotionally invested and passionate narrator’s voice. Unfortunately Casey’s not gifted in that regard and does sound very monotonous. If you’re after an audiobook with the sole purpose of being entertained, don’t buy this book. This is about the story, not entertainment. Casey was far too numbed and damaged emotionally in her past, to the point of being unable to feel or handle any true feelings and emotions for a long time. I understand that can come from the constant dissociation she resorted to during the repeated raping and abuse inflicted by her brother and her father; that dissociation translates very much in the way she reads out her own life story.
All in all I do not regret in the least having listened to her story.

Relatable in so many ways

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If all a good autobiography requires - is an indulgent regurgitation of events, decorated with lashings heartfelt doggerel, then consider this
worthy of your attention.

A Reason for Ghostwriters

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I’m hoping to receive my money back as I could not finish this book.

She reads this book as one long sentence, monotone, flat. As if she was reciting someone else’s words and life. It really was horrible and impossible to become invested in her story. I truly believe she did not write this book.

I understand it’s a big thing to share abuse, but if she’s moved to a place where she can write and share her experiences, I would think that she’d have a certain amount of pride to finish the creative process by narrating the book with at least some regard for the customer who has spent the money (and time) to listen to her story.

Her tone was downright depressing. It sounded like she was bored to death to have to fulfil l her obligation to the publishing house. From what little I absorbed of her story’ this is just another thing in this woman’s life that is unfinished.

This book was not as expected story-wise, I bought it after watching the Armie Hammer documentary. It was described as telling the story of an entire family’s habits being passed down. Instead, it was about stuffed animals and how unfair, and badly done by she was for not being given a Mercedes and access to unlimited cash, but then in the next breath, how she had million dollar weddings (three of them).

Totally substandard, don’t buy it.

Shocking narration, and the longest ever whinge about first-world problems

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It just seemed like a big whinge to me. No highs and lows. In fairness, I didn’t listen to it all.

I found the narrator’s voice annoying.

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