Advice columnist Amy Dickinson says her motto is, "I make the mistakes so you don't have to." With the publication of her memoir "The Mighty Queens of Freeville," it is easy to understand where she's coming from.

In 2004, after columnist Ann Landers' death, Dickinson was invited to participate in a "try-out" to fill Landers' position. Chicago Tribune managing editor Jim Warren approached her about the position and asked her to answer several letters begging for advice about relationships, wedding etiquette and settling a dispute about a dying father's will. Soon after submitting her responses, she was granted the column.

Now printed in more than 150 newspapers and read by more than 22 million people, "Ask Amy" is the go-to advice column for America. The lessons learned throughout her life are written down in her memoir and give readers an inside look at how the famous advice columnist came to be.

Fresh from a divorce after several years of marriage, Dickinson and her two-month-old daughter Emily moved from her home in London to her hometown in Freeville, N.Y. where the majority of her family resided.

In a town of no more than 498 people, Dickinson's family, nicknamed "the Queens of Freeville," contributed 18 members – all female – to the town's population. Like home cooking after a long journey, "the Queens" provide the comfort Dickinson needs to keep her head up.

In the memoir she moves in with her sister and falls back on her family to move forward from her heartbreak. She finds solace in her hometown, and works to raise her daughter as a single mother while keeping herself out of debt. Working as a radio producer, talk show host, receptionist and a variety of odd jobs, Dickinson took what she could to keep her family afloat.

Moving from London to Washington, D.C. to Chicago, Dickinson continually rebounds back to Freeville and her family, who support her through all her troubles and triumphs. With that support, Dickinson raises her daughter with the same small-town mindset she was raised with. Her love for her daughter helps her overcome life's obstacles.

Throughout the novel, Dickinson flashes back to earlier memories from her childhood and adolescence. Each memory, from her church's Sunday barbecues to her absentee father's occasional visits, helps her tackle whichever hurdle is thrown her way.

Dickinson, raised on a farm, takes her family values and lessons with her, and uses her experiences to write advice. She parlays her commonsense upbringing into easily digestible advice.

Each chapter, devoted to a specific piece of advice or time in her life, tells an individual story on how to handle the trickier parts of life. From surviving post-divorce first dates to finding God in the community, Dickinson's lessons learned are applicable to anyone.

The memoir's advice is relatable, memorable and connects with those women who have suffered hardships and rely on women in their lives to act as security blankets. It brings to light how important family and community are in times of need. Dickinson's ties to her family and her relationship with her daughter remind readers it's ultimately family that shapes who a person becomes.

The sheer simplicity and honesty of the story makes "The Mighty Queens of Freeville" an easy read. Almost every memory traces back to her family, and it is clear Dickinson's relationship with her family is close to the heart.

It is easy to be drawn into Dickinson's memoir instantly and stay with it through the end. Her blunt, tell-it-like-it-is approach will attract any follower of the "Ask Amy" column.