The daughter of Dominican immigrants, Méndez marshals pathos and outrage to depict the ironic circumstances of her life as she begins to disconnect from her overly protective parents. But tragic illness—she was diagnosed with scleroderma at 22 and lupus just six years later—and unexpected twists of fate not only bring her closer to her Latino cultural roots, her doting mother and strict father, but also drive her to transform pain and disappointment into art. Méndez’s incisive self-analysis takes her creativity from an obscure, dark place into full resplendent bloom.

In this stirring collection of personal essays and poetry, Méndez shares her story, writing about encounters with the medical establishment, experiences as an Afro Latina and longing for the life she expected but that eludes her.