Dear Sister: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781538757154)

In September 2017, a knock on the door upended Michelle Horton's life: she learned that her sister had killed her partner, had been hiding horrific violence for years, and was now in jail. To try and make sense of it all, Michelle retraces the sisters' steps through childhood and explores how so many people were blind to the abuse. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Michelle rearranges her life to care for Nikki's children and, over time, launches a fight to bring Nikki home -- all while coping with layers of loss and injustice, and being ensnared in a criminal justice system that punishes the entire family.

Dear Sister is a story about truth: The nature of truth, the danger of keeping truths hidden, and Michelle's search for truth while picking up the pieces of a shattered reality. It's a story about trauma: An intimate look into the lives of a family surviving trauma in real time. But more than anything, it is a story about hope. And the miraculous experience of witnessing the darkest times illuminated by the light of community, the discovery of spiritual strength, and the unbreakable maternal bond between Michelle's incarcerated sister and her children.