Unleashing the Parts is a memoir by a woman whose life never seemed quite right to her, from early childhood on. Her narrative shifts back and forth in time, somehow conveying, all at once, the voices of the small child, the troubled adolescent, the recovered addict, the fierce mother of two—the “parts” the author has struggled to release.

This is a deeply troubling book, revealing things about dysfunctional families and small-town life that are usually covered up, glossed over, or denied. It’s not comfortable reading. The author tells of childhood incest, gang rapes, alcohol and drug abuse, and more. Though her body survived, her spirit was damaged almost beyond any hope of recovery.