If You Were My Daughter: A Memoir of Healing an Unmothered Heart, Marianne Richmond

From bestselling children's author Marianne Richmond comes a powerful memoir about overcoming a mother's emotional neglect and finding the courage to reclaim the story of your life. "In her beautiful memoir, Richmond bravely finds her way through a legacy of emotional trauma, pulling us into her courageous, tender heart while bringing us closer to our own…a stunning story." — Kelly McDaniel, author of Mother Hunger At nine years old, Marianne Richmond's life is upended when she collapses on her kitchen floor with full-body convulsions. "Pinched nerve," says the ER doctor, a baffling explanation. But when one episode becomes many, it's clear something is wrong. Afraid to be at school, in her body and in her life, Marianne Richmond desperately hopes for help and healing. But her emotionally unavailable mother — still reeling from her own past trauma — refuses medication on Marianne's behalf, preferring to try prayer and homeopathy. At age 18, a full-body seizure in Marianne's dorm room l