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For any woman who has felt pressured to fit a certain image for the benefit of others.
Alejandra Campoverdi has, at different parts of her life, been: a child on welfare, a White House aide to Barack Obama, a Harvard...

pennyalexlane
Sep 28, 20231 min read


Unconquerable and Undefeated
Invictus is a Latin word that means unconquerable or undefeated. The poem is filled with powerful words that express perseverance in...

pennyalexlane
Sep 26, 20231 min read


Bullying, redemption and self-acceptance
"The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell" by Robert Dugoni is a heartwarming and emotional novel that explores the themes of redemption and...

pennyalexlane
Sep 22, 20232 min read


Fostering hope.
I loved this beautiful little book, Foster by Clair Keegan, for its clear-eyed map of a young girl lost in a family mess, and how she...

pennyalexlane
Sep 18, 20231 min read


Exposing truth through fiction
I loved this book. Claire Keegan's novel, "Small Things Like These," beautifully explored powerful themes of resilience and redemption....

pennyalexlane
Sep 15, 20231 min read


The Survivor's Mission
Having a goal to work toward has always been important to me. Before I escaped my childhood home, it was a simple as just getting away....

pennyalexlane
Sep 13, 20232 min read


The strength of the human spirit triumphs all...
A long, beautiful story of poverty, neglect addiction and growing up "different" in a world that values conformity at all costs. Set in...

pennyalexlane
Sep 12, 20231 min read


Visiting the Columbia of Gabriel García Márquez
Nestled in the heart of South America is an enchanted land, where reality intertwines with the magical. Colombia, often associated with...

pennyalexlane
Sep 6, 20233 min read


"This book kept me alive."
Jenni Fagan on writing a memoir of her childhood in foster care. "A lot of kids in care homes are told they are less than everyone else....

pennyalexlane
Aug 17, 20231 min read


A Mom's incredible, fearful, humbling task of letting go.
This Saturday, my husband and I moved our son into college, in another state, the precious child we never thought we'd have had adoption...

pennyalexlane
Aug 15, 20232 min read


What trauma survivors need
I loved these two books by Judith L. Herman, MD. In clear and simple language, she lays out what all trauma survivors want. This is a...

pennyalexlane
Aug 9, 20231 min read


Writers write, and healing happens.
Celebrated writer Mona Susan Power sank into years of depression. Her new book, “A Council of Dolls,” offered her a chance to heal....

pennyalexlane
Aug 7, 20231 min read


Inspiring woman, mesmerizing memoir.
Memoirs can transport, teach and inspire, and I especially memoirs by strong women who overcome the odds. She Who Dares by Alana Stott...

pennyalexlane
Aug 3, 20231 min read


So much of child abuse is about being voiceless.
Sinead O'Connor told NPR in a 2014 interview. She was so right! Remembering singer Sinéad O’Connor | Here & Now (wbur.org) My book,...

pennyalexlane
Jul 31, 20231 min read


Love, loss and family in an amazing book
Despite its size, I could not put this book down. It is a multi-generational family drama set in historical, political, religious and...

pennyalexlane
Jul 29, 20232 min read


What do you think of Barbie?
Barbenheimer, the weekend when both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” were released, we chose to see Barbie after initially poopooing it as...

pennyalexlane
Jul 25, 20231 min read


Learning from Shakespeare at Christ Church, Oxford
If we are open, and if we are lucky, we never stop learning, growing, and changing. For my summer course at Oxford, a kind gift from my...

pennyalexlane
Jul 24, 20231 min read


The vicissitudes of life inspires our stories...
Do you wonder where writers get their stories? Do you remember the story of Paddington Bear, written by Michael Bond in 1958? Paddington...

pennyalexlane
Jul 18, 20231 min read


Book Cover and title finalized!
After much help from Brooke Warner and my wonderful team at She Writes Press, we have a final cover and title. I hope you like it! My...

pennyalexlane
Jun 26, 20231 min read


What is a dysfunctional family?
In her great article, Sandi Squicquero defines it as "a family that experiences trauma and pain from a parent’s actions, words and...

pennyalexlane
Jun 23, 20231 min read
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