Diamonds in the Dirt: Stories From A Junkyard Girl - Softcover

Riedman, Laurie

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798990139329

Publisher: Badass Sisterhood Press, 2024

Synopsis

Diamonds in the Dirt: Stories From a Junkyard Girl offers a glimpse of what it was like to grow up living smack dab in the middle of a junkyard in rural Connecticut. In this memoir, Laurie Riedman shares how love can grow among discarded car parts, a rusted-out bus, and a crazy cast of real and imagined characters.

The stories tell of a childhood—unique and filled with happiness and trauma. Laurie bravely attempts to connect the dots, some painfully clear and others frustratingly fuzzy, of her fractured memory.

The collection is arranged by theme rather than chronologically and features four parts: Life as a Junkyard Girl, I am Junk, The Power of Pretend, and Diamonds in the Dirt.

“I chose to tell my story as a collection of short stories and in a non-linear fashion because this allowed me to bridge those gaps and more clearly share the arc of where I’ve been and where I am. Time jumps even within a single story because that is how I could tie the gaps together and see the themes emerge,” said the author, Laurie Riedman.

By sharing and owning the painful truth of her life, the author sends a powerful message of hope, inspiring others to mine the gifts in their lives and own their own stories.

This book is perfect for those who enjoy short stories, personal essays, and memoirs about meeting life challenges.

About this title

About the Author

Laurie Riedman is a personal and relationship coach, writer, and storyteller. After thirty-five years running her own PR and marketing firm, she transitioned her consulting to coaching, founding b.u. coaching to support those-like her-who seek to embrace their truths and be their best selves in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. Writing and publishing essays on her blog, More Than Words, and her memoir, Diamonds in the Dirt: Stories From a Junkyard Girl, are part of her healing journey. She has also published essays in Bluff and Vine. Her writing is included in four anthologies-two she co-edited with Susan Walter, Badass Sisterhood and Badass Sisterhood Roots & Wings, and Soul Shine.Laurie lives, writes, and coaches from her home along Canandaigua Lake in the Finger Lakes of New York. Married to her life partner Rich for over thirty-eight years, they have founded three successful companies and raised three amazing daughters: Elizabeth, Beck, and Hannah.

Edition details

• Publisher: Badass Sisterhood Press
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798990139329
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 234