Fire. While it appears destructive, it’s also a force of renewal. Just as fire clears the way for new growth, so too can people transform their lives when they confront their worst fears and step into the sunlight of their purpose and truth.

House on Fire, a raw and riveting memoir by author and publisher Jenn T. Grace, explores her journey growing up as an adopted child in a chaotic household. Surviving a turbulent childhood marked by family conflict, mental illness and alcoholism, Grace promises herself that life will get better. But as an adult, Grace’s personal and professional successes belie her inner turmoil. When she bravely steps in to adopt her sister’s emotionally troubled daughter, she soon discovers that love and patience are not enough to meet the child’s needs. Desperate to find help, Grace and her wife struggle for years to navigate a broken mental health system that too often fails families and their children, leaving them with a heart-wrenching decision to save their sanity.

How do we let certain things go once we realize we have choices? How do we come to a place of healing and forgiveness? Too often the outside world judges and criticizes without understanding the private challenges that many families face. Grace’s courage and honesty in telling her story is an inspiring message of hope and resilience for anyone suffering from trauma, adversity, and obstacles that seem insurmountable.

SABA Book Awards 2020 Audience Vote Top 3 Winner