Before I Knew It, They Were Gone: A Jewish First-Generation American Woman's Journey through the Darkness (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781665304405)

THIS IS THE TRUE STORY of a first-generation French American Jewish woman, growing up in west LA, whose life of affluence and privilege didn't prepare her for the tragedies that lay ahead.

Follow Dana on her journey as she transitions from a carefree, indulgent life in the sprawling, liberal city of Los Angeles to a small, conservative town in Georgia, deep in the Bible Belt of the South. She must decide how to live an authentic life in this dramatically different environment as the only Jewish person in her high school, and only one of three Jewish families in town.

But while there are good times and funny moments along the way, life has much more in store for Dana as she is tested repeatedly with overwhelming loss- tragedies beyond her understanding or ability to cope.

She must navigate those challenges and deal with doubt, guilt, self-sabotage, and the immense need to belong somewhere. Finally despairing of a normal, happy life, things take another unexpected turn as hope and new happiness find her, instead.