Trash: A True Story

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Flipping through a bag of old photographs, Lynn Hellers relives her traumatic childhood growing up in the low-income row houses of Kingston, Ontario, in the 1970s and 80s. Against the backdrop of the dramatic social and political upheaval of the era, Lynn’s young life is dominated by crushing poverty and the violent explosions of her alcoholic and abusive father. When his anger wasn’t vented on their mother, he turned to Lynn and her younger siblings, who quickly learned to keep their thoughts to themselves. Amidst the burden of survival, Lynn’s coming of age is further complicated by a profound crisis of faith and heartbreaking confusion around her sexuality. Her only respite came from her caring and gentle maternal grandparents, who offered a safe haven and encouraged her to pursue her passion for visual art as well as a determination to carve out a life for herself.

Lynn’s memoir is told with frank and unapologetic realism that is at times harshly troubling, and others bizarrely comical. It is a story of compelling resilience, crushing neglect, and unshakable hope.