The author, an experienced trauma therapist, recounts her own experiences living through and healing from profound grief, loss and long-buried childhood tragedy.

"One afternoon, Emma Nadler gets a call from her daughter's doctor that changes her life forever. Faced with the realities of raising a child with a rare genetic condition, Nadler must confront her preconceptions of motherhood and her perfectionistic beliefs. With a generous wit and a wide-open mind, Nadler--who also happens to be a psychotherapist -- offers a rare window into the unconventional ways she and her family adapt to their improbable path....

"When I was four and a half years old, I found my mother passed-out on her bedroom floor. She had overdosed--shortly after giving birth to my baby brother, and she went on to spend six months in a psychiatric hospital. On one of the many days she was away, I remember sitting in the backseat of our car with my older brother as my father drove us to the store, when suddenly our car collided head-on with another vehicle. I was too young to understand...

"Weaving together diary entries, photographs, clandestine correspondences, and haiku, psychotherapist and activist Satsuki Ina reveals how her parents navigated life, love, loss, and loyalty tests during World War II, and how the effects of mass incarceration echo across generations"--