A captivating and inspiring illustration of a woman’s courage and resolve…
Berger’s narrative chronicles her remarkable journey as she triumphed over her traumatic childhood. Born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, Berger spent her formative years with her parents and two older brothers in an affluent household. Her dad was an enigma in many ways, and his occupation didn’t seem to fit with the family’s wealthy lifestyle. The peaceful days of Berger’s childhood were cut short by her mother’s untimely death and her father’s descent into alcoholism. During her teenage years, she moved around from one place to another, staying with friends and family while she worked to complete her high school. But instead of succumbing to the same addiction as her father, she found a calling in stock analysis, which provided her much-needed stability: she was only eighteen when she started her job at John Magee Inc. in 1968. As a chartist, it was her task to note the daily transactions of many companies. Her commitment and dedication to understanding stock analysis enabled her to make a name for herself among the predominantly male-dominated world of finance. Over the next fifty years, she showed everyone that women could be successful and have their voices heard in this sector. Eventually, Berger ended up working for the mutual fund powerhouse Fidelity Investments as a stock analyst, where she was the only financial professional who didn’t have a college degree. Berger’s book is written from her first-person perspective, providing an eloquent and moving account of life in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Through her work, Berger delicately discusses how gender bias, alcoholism, drug addiction and other antiquated customs shaped her childhood, as well as the feeling of helplessness she felt against her own traumatic family circumstances. She also discusses the wide spectrum of interpersonal relationships among money managers, from positive to negative, while providing a rare perspective on the history of technical analysis. Her words are honest yet never melodramatic as she reflects on being bounced from home to home or her attraction to alcoholic men. Even when describing her clinical depression, Berger speaks of it with admiration. Throughout it all, the author reveals a tenderness for her parents and two older brothers, mentor John Magee, and husband John that adds additional nuance to what is already an engaging narrative. Those touched by a difficult upbringing must read this compelling narrative.
Moral Compass: A Memoir
Susan Joan Berger
Pub date June 30, 2023
ISBN 979-8987022603
Price $16.99 (USD) Paperback, $5.99 Kindle edition
