Raising, and Losing, My Remarkable Teenage Mother: A Memoir

When Stacey Aaronson was born in 1969, her mother, Bree, was sixteen and barely out of braces. Hastily wed to Stacey's dad and divorced soon after, Bree raised Stacey with his and her parents' loving support. Following the nudging of her heart, she rejected mothering cues from her mostly structured, mid-century upbringing and favored allowing Stacey to bloom unfettered in her own particular soil, boldly and unapologetically giving her daughter complete freedom to be her authentic self. The result is the extraordinary story of this mother-daughter duo reminiscent of . Anchoring each other to the world through their distinct brand of "us-ness," Bree and Stacey take on life with an uncanny gift for seeing magic in the most ordinary moments. Whether bouncing between the markedly different homes of her mom, dad, and grandparents, discovering her religious and sexual identities, or starting college in her mid-twenties, Stacey is buoyed by Bree's unwavering love and acceptance. Even when bookish and conservative Stacey bobs through choppy waters with her free-spirited mom, their uncommon closeness remains unshakable. She is by Bree's side as she seeks the biological mother she never knew, and applauds her mom's resilience as she rises above several hard-hitting challenges. But Bree--despite her vibrant spirit and astounding near-reversal of an MS diagnosis--learns too young she has cancer, whose underlying emotional roots even a cutting-edge, non-toxic treatment can't cure. As Stacey steps into the role of caregiver, the two face the most poignant leg of their journey: nurturing their deep soul connection even as one soul transitions to another realm. Brimming with miracles, wonder, and joy even in its saddest moments, is a tender yet ebullient celebration of life, of love, of death's mysterious passage, and the mystical forces that bind us all.