Alycia Vreeland’s memoir, BABY DARLIN', is not only a testament to humans’ tenacity, will to survive and ability to recover from heinous circumstances, but also a call to action for society to provide more help for families plagued by mental illness and substance abuse.
The memoir is written from the point of view of 5-year-old Alycia, who’s born to a mother diagnosed with schizophrenia. Though Alycia — who’s called Baby Darlin’ by her Momma — has grandparents nearby, they’re equally warped by genetics and life experiences, including the combat PTSD believed to have been the cause of her grandfather’s suicide.
Besieged by the chaos and negativity around her, Alycia is exposed to psychological, emotional and sexual abuse that pushes her, as a girl under 10 years old, toward early substance abuse to cope with the horror around her. She has no one to protect her except her strong inner ego she names Ayne de Blu.
Most miraculously, the author grows up, overcomes hundreds of obstacles created by those early days, to become a talented artist who embraces sobriety. That she does so after so much angst feels beyond incredible.
The book is for so many people who overcome a youth spent influenced by parents battling untreated problems. And it’s an eyeopener for those who might not understand what others go through or why they deserve to receive extra help.
You can also find the above review on Goodreads.
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THE WIND THIEF, a novel
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