Released May 24, 2022

A Collection of Free-Verse Poetry, Short Essays, & Letters from a Child Trauma Survivor

"This book is a time capsule," E.K. begins. "It carries the weight of twenty years."
Typically an urban fantasy author for young adults, E.K. Barnes has temporarily branched into autobiographical free-verse poetry and anecdotal writing to share her story. After suffering abuse at the hands of an extended family member, she spent decades in silence, attempting to bury her traumatic past. E.K. lived through approximately two decades of undiagnosed mental illnesses—including selective mutism, post-traumatic stress disorder, and ADHD. In college, she threw herself into volunteer work, eventually stumbling into several leadership positions at a small-town church. Although she is currently not a member of a Christian church, this book provides insight into her life as the child of a worship pastor, and how her root faith influenced her worldview.
Through the voice of E.K.'s teenage years and early adulthood, comes the heart-wrenching story of her navigation toward survival.