The Third Return : A Memoir
Grounded on the chaotic territory of domestic violence, The Third Return is a provoking memoir of love, despair, grief and in the end, an empowering victory. Not a usual story told by a victim nor survivor. Instead, a daughter who lived witness to abuse and fought to recover from the wounds of loss and trauma lends readers a look at household violence through the eyes of a child.
When Monica’s mother remarries and a baby brother completes the new marriage, her stepfather, Ian, transforms their Chicago, IL home into a confinement seeding fear, tension and horrific abuse. Her childhood is consumed with dysfunction and confusion, but as she grows older, the tormenting cycle of violence becomes clear.
As an adolescent, she rebels the daily manipulation and urges her mother to stay away from Ian long enough to break the cycle of leaving and returning. After a third return to Ian results in abrupt devastation, Monica and her siblings are forced to overcome the unexpected, prevail against grief and find peace out of their pain.
The author believes that every life is beautiful and encourages others to share her imparting message: You are a Beautiful Life.
You Beautiful Life 