This writing — for now a blog, perhaps later a book — is an act of remembering.

It draws me back through vivid scenes of the past, calling for honesty, courage, and collaboration with those who shared the journey.

This story is different in two important ways.

First, the memories I revisit — particularly those surrounding my mother’s death — come from the perspective of a grieving child, and they are deeply painful to tell.

Second, some of what I reveal about sexual abuse and trafficking will challenge the reputations of individuals once considered beyond reproach. My father’s threats kept our family silent for years. He warned my aunts, my grandfather, and eventually me to say nothing, even […]