Stretched

"Michelle writes with fearless candor, incorporating an attention-getting opening into excellent pacing that never lets up. 9.5/10"―Booklife Award Critic's Report (Publisher's Weekly) Michelle must face the harsh reality of her childhood in order to overcome the pain that has long held her captive. From the time she was five years old, when she witnessed the near-death experience of her sister, her world was shaped by trauma. Her mother struggled with mental illness, she was abandoned by those she loved, and she was scarred by sexual assault, carrying the wounds of her past into every relationship she formed as an adult.

Stretched follows Michelle’s true story through the long aftermath of trauma, and how early abandonment and violence seep into identity, self-worth, and the choices she made. Similar to The Glass Castle and Educated, her memoir depicts how hope can thrive in the face of incredible hardship, how pain can be transformed into resilience, and how forgiveness can free oneself of the burdens that lie within.