Daddy's Little Stranger

"Memoirs that chronicle the lasting impacts of neglect and the quest to fill the void left by an unstable parental attachment are familiar. Deadwiler's work, however, displays bravery, conviction, and arresting prose that uplifts the narrative and will have readers rooting for the author on every single page." —The BookLife Prize"Deadwiler's book curled up in my heart and soothed me in my own fatherless, daughterly ache, whispering 'it's okay.' I loved every tender moment of this memoir and I know you will too." —Jane Wong, author of Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic CityHow do you learn to love when there is no one to teach you? Devastated by sudden disconnection from the man she knew as her father, and the rejection from her birth father that followed, a young Acamea finds herself on a lonesome path disturbed by the chaos of mental illness, poverty, and violence. Daddy's Little Stranger delves into the captivating journey of a girl's life, shaped by various forms of neglect. Forced to navigate both tense and tender interactions with her mother's boyfriends, Acamea mourns the idea of a father as much as she does the father figures she once knew. She arms herself with resentment and emotional distance for protection. Acamea tells her story set against the backdrop of Gary, Indiana—a city deemed "the murder capital of the nation." Here she wrestles with the complexities of human connection as she grows into a woman. Feeling trapped between the worlds of love and obligation, she attempts to set herself free. Daddy's Little Stranger is a profound exploration of longing, our capacity to heal hidden wounds, and the resolve to build something beautiful inside a broken life. Read more