This memoir reads like fiction, yet is very much genuine. It is at times a gut wrenching account of the journey this mother traveled to have a family and then to get help for the very same. It has twists and turns all along her long-traveled road and details in depth the complexities of a blended family and the emotional undercurrents within. You experience her joy, sadness, frustration, tenacity, and angst as well as her ability to channel those emotions to gain control of her life and generate positive change and productivity. Following her journey brings the reader to her mastery over life events as she blends resilience with hope and finds peace.
Kathleen Regan is a writer, mother, and psychiatric nurse with over 30 years' experience. Her memoir is both intense and dramatic as she draws the reader into her family's experiences. She is able to blend her psychiatric expertise with her personal accounts of tragedy, sadness, hope, and resilience. This is, at times, a haunting tale of a troubled child and the author's myriad attempts to master difficult systems to obtain help for her son. She also navigates the complexities of the adoption world and blended families. This honest account narrates her mastery over the emotional turmoil generated by years of crises, through her channeling her energies to help other troubled children and her transition to a calming lifestyle. Kathleen has previously published a non-fiction book: Opening Our Arms; Helping Troubled Kids Do Well, Bull Publishing, Boulder, Co (2006), articles for professional journals, and a variety of pamphlets. She is currently working on a young adult novel.