{"product_id":"youre-too-young-to-understand-a-memoir","title":"You're Too Young to Understand: A Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMemoir Prize for Books Honorable Mention and “2025 Top Notable Indies” from Shelf Unbound.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis family memoir is a vulnerable look at growing up in the shadow of mental\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eillness—and how somehow, we find our way through it.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, Sjaastad offers the possibility that even without much in the way of a parental roadmap, we can still find our way to love and forgiveness.”  —\u003cstrong\u003eLaura Flynn, author of \u003cem\u003eSwallow the Ocean\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLiz Fiedorow Sjaastad grew up during the Cold War with a mother with untreated schizophrenia and a turbulent alcoholic father who was a first-generation immigrant from Russia. Growing up in the latchkey kid eighties, Liz and her siblings were left to deal with the daily machinations of their mother's paranoid mind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShedding light on the complexities of parental mental health and generational trauma, Liz shares the story of a life led despite the fears of “becoming her parents.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiving voice to isolating experiences, Liz illuminates the struggles of caring for aging parents who had struggled to care for her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA transformative read, \u003cem\u003eYou’re Too Young to Understand\u003c\/em\u003e explores . . .\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e● end-of-life decisions with difficult parents\u003cbr\u003e● breaking the cycle of generational trauma.\u003cbr\u003e● brain illness and anosognosia.\u003cbr\u003e● refugee parents managing their own PTSD.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnflinching and heartfelt, Liz chronicles how she confronted the trauma of her past to show up for her parents—and herself—when it was needed most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sjaastad bares her soul in this beautifully written book. How she copes is a lesson for us all.”  \u003cstrong\u003e—Mindy Greiling, former state legislator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sjaastad’s compelling memoir will break your heart, then fill it full of her generosity of spirit.”  —\u003cstrong\u003eKate St. Vincent Vogl, author of \u003cem\u003eLost \u0026amp; Found: A Memoir of Mothers\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Itasca Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":54526388437267,"sku":"9781634897570","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0948\/3521\/2563\/files\/YTYTU_cvrWI_5_7_26_1.png?v=1785852443","url":"https:\/\/danuc.net\/products\/youre-too-young-to-understand-a-memoir","provider":"Danu's Wardrobe","version":"1.0","type":"link"}