Indies Introduce

Non-Fiction

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  Dancing With the Octopus, Debora Harding
  Bloomsbury, 9781635576122, September 22, 2020 (Non-Fiction)
  

  “Dancing With the Octopus is the most honest memoir I have ever read. Harding leaves nothing on the table. Told in crystal-clear prose that is reminiscent of Maggie Nelson and Marry Karr, this book is set to become a classic of its genre.”

  Quentin Greif, Little City Books (Hoboken, NJ)
  
  

  “Debora Harding was grabbed off a street in 1978 during an ice storm, hurled into a stolen van, and abducted by a man hoping to hold her for ransom. She suffered assault at his hands, then was left to perish in the cold. But her original assailant was not the unknown man whose rough hands would leave their mark on her psyche, rather someone she should have been able to trust, someone whose harm inflicted over the course of her childhood would leave emotional scars just as deep. Her original assailant was her mother, a woman devoid of empathy who vented her moods on her unfortunate children. Despite the abuse she suffered, Debora achieved much in life, including a stable marriage, children she loved as a mother should, pets that are part of her family, and a life that on the outside looks pretty good. But Debora’s childhood left its mark; she shares her struggles to revisit her past, come to terms with it, confront her abusers, and reclaim her life. While the book details serious harm, it is also lively; Debora’s spirit and zest shine through.”

  Deon Stonehouse, Sunriver Books & Music (Sunriver, OR)
  

  “In her brutally honest and inspirational memoir, Debora Harding recounts her dysfunctional upbringing by a cold and neglectful mother and a carefree yet ineffectual father. At the age of 14, Harding is kidnapped, raped, and left to die. She not only survives, she helps the police identify her attacker. In the aftermath of this horrific ordeal, her parents move forward as if nothing happened and refuse to discuss it. As an adult, Harding finds herself struggling with symptoms of PTSD and embarks on a quest to heal herself by confronting her parents, facing her attacker, and giving a voice to his story. Harding’s story is both powerful and unforgettable.”

  Maxwell Gregory, Lake Forest Book Store (Lake Forest, IL)