MY BEAUTIFUL RECKLESS GIRL

A memoir of love & the healing power of mindfulness

My Beautiful Reckless Girl is a soul-baring rendition of loss: how does a mother go on living when she loses her only child? The story skilfully interweaves two narratives; the first beginning with Catherine’s birth and documenting the following eighteen years of her life while the second follows the mother’s search to understand the circumstances that lead to her daughter’s sudden death. Each chapter opens with an entry from Catherine’s journal, bringing her voice alive on the page. We learn that she writes powerful poems, can juggle four clubs, and drives the family car like a rev-head. My Beautiful Reckless Girl is ultimately a love story, exploring relevant themes such as grief and loss; teenagers and drugs; depression and post-traumatic stress. In the end, the reader has a deep appreciation for life and is left in awe of the resilience of the human spirit.