Burned
A Memoir
“A deeply moving, beautifully written, and transforming story.” —Greg Mortensen, author of Three Cups of Tea
One day it happens: an event that changes your life forever. When Louise Nayer was four, a flash fire engulfed her parents. The figures who emerged after a nine-month hospitalization did not inspire joyous embraces or tender kisses. Her mother was disfigured beyond recognition and although her father’s physical injuries were not as severe, the accident left him a spiritually broken man.
With staggering candor, Louise traces her parent’s tremulous steps back to a new normality. She discovers that her mother’s will—that indestructible and exacting force that was difficult to abide by as a child—was what kept all of them from lapsing into a downward spiral of regret and self-pity.
Louise Nayer illuminates both the emotional intensity of loss and the surprising strength that is summoned up for the sake of loved ones. Burned is the story of a family stripped to their barest elements and held together by love.
For more information, visit the author's website: LouiseNayer.com
“As a poet and writer Louise Nayer has established herself as a singular voice of her generation.” —Robert Creeley
“Meticulous and moving….Louise Nayer’s memoir makes a large statement about human healing.” —Carl Dennis, Pulitzer Prize winning poet