Liz Sutherland grew up with literally no identity. She has no memory of the first few years of her life, other than the jarring experience of being dropped off at a stranger’s house when she was a child. She and her siblings lived with their grandmother, who abused and mistreated the children every single day. When she finally escaped that life, Liz was thrust into the foster care system. The day she turned eighteen, she was put out on her own.

Her book, No Ordinary Liz, chronicles her journey through foster care and beyond as she struggled to find her way in the world and discover her true identity. Along the way, this far-from-ordinary woman found out her birth story was more complex than she had ever imagined, filled with twists and turns that brought her through an incredible journey towards unraveling her past. This book, both memoir and guidebook, is designed to offer hope for those in and out of the foster care system, as well as support and resources for agencies, youth aging out of foster care, and foster parents.