Diamonds in the Dirt: Stories From A Junkyard Girl (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798990139329)

Reviews from readers:

"I could not put this book down. At times painfully tragic, with moments of laugh-out-loud humor." Cynthia

"If you grew up in a small town in the 60s or 70s, this bittersweet memoir is your story, too. Written in a non-linear essay format, we get beautifully told stories of awareness, resilience, survival, and success. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, this is a brave and honest book." Abby

"While the author's childhood was nothing like my own, I found myself drawn into her world of childhood discovery as though I'd fallen into a movie and conjoined with her as the protagonist. Riedman's writing is beautifully paced as she takes the reader on an immersive experience. The essay format makes it easy to read in bite-sized pieces. Diamonds In the Dirt belongs in the canon of books that challenge us to a broader perspective about humanity at large and the perceived travails of our own lives." K.H.

Author Laurie Riedman discovered who she was by digging into her unique and painful past and examining her most broken pieces. Diamonds in the Dirt: Stories From a Junkyard Girl offers a glimpse of what it was like to grow up living in a junkyard in rural Connecticut. In this memoir, Laurie Riedman shares how love can grow among discarded car parts, a rusted-out bus, and a crazy cast of real and imagined characters.

The stories tell of a unique childhood filled with happiness and trauma. Laurie bravely attempts to connect the dots, some painfully clear and others frustratingly fuzzy, of her fractured memory.

The collection is arranged by theme rather than chronologically and features four parts: Life as a Junkyard Girl; I am Junk; The Power of Pretend; and Diamonds in the Dirt.

"I chose to tell my story as a collection of short stories and in a non-linear fashion because this allowed me to bridge those gaps and more clearly share the arc of where I've been and where I am. Time jumps even within a single story because that is how I could tie the gaps together and see the themes emerge," said the author, Laurie Riedman.

By sharing and owning the painful truth of her life, the author hopes to inspire others to mine the gifts in their lives and own their own stories.