The Memoir of a Changeling

This book is more than just a memoir. It is the story of how this American girl was born scandalous in the '70's, raised twisted in the '80's, and warped my way into the '90's. After years of dreaming about escaping from my abusive mother, and a series of sexually abusive step-fathers; a naive, barely teenage me, ran away from my farm town in Michigan to New York City in a stolen car. Once there, I became immersed in the ultra-impoverished ghetto culture of the South Bronx. Lansing was an introduction to gangs and drugs. Then came the mental hospital, a juvenile detention center, and a halfway house. I mixed in punk rock, pierced noses, and a bright mohawk. This is also about the best music era, drive-in movies, outlandish adventures on LSD, and most importantly- a host of irrepressible friends made in small woodsy towns, desert villages, major cities, and on the bayou. Things were finally going to be okay for me. Then one rainy morning, I nearly died in a car crash. I had to rebuild myself all over again. I did so in my own weird way. Here is why it was worth it to survive.