The doctors had no hope for baby Rose. Her mother had contracted the German measles while pregnant with her, and she could be born blind, deaf, mentally handicapped, or have a potentially fatal heart defect. Despite the fervent prayers of Rose’s mother to save her daughter, when she was born, the doctors were not optimistic. Although she went on to beat the odds during her first week and survived, the pediatric specialist left the parents with ominous words: I want to tell you that the best thing you could do is put this child in a home. Don’t get attached to her. She will never be normal, and she could still die.

Her condition left her with a hearing impairment and a deformed eye that would come to affect her self-image for decades, and her mother suffered from debilitating depression for the rest of her life, which deeply affected her relationship with her daughter. After surviving a childhood full of challenges and trauma, Rose would rediscover the journals she’d kept as a young person, painting a picture of an anguished childhood but also allowing healing insights into her life journey.

Pamela Reynolds wrote this book to inspire others challenged with birth defects, family difficulties and childhood trauma, that it doesn’t have to hinder them from progression. She believes we are all capable of achieving our dreams.