For fifty years, Stephanie Plymale kept her past a fiercely guarded secret. No one would have guessed that her childhood was fraught with every imaginable hardship: a mentally ill mother who was in and out of jails and psych wards, neglect, hunger, poverty, homelessness, truancy, foster homes, a harrowing lack of medical care, and ongoing sexual abuse.
Stephanie, in turn, knew very little about her mother, from whom she remained estranged during most of her adult life. All this changed with a phone call that set in motion a journey of discovery, leading to a series of shocking revelations that forced Stephanie to revise the meaning of almost every aspect of her very compromised childhood.
“A story of redemption and forgiveness.”
-The New York Times Book Review
“Supersedes the journey of perseverance with an investigation into her family’s fascinating but tragic past… a moving tale of finding a way to give the love we don’t receive.”
-BookPage, starred review
