My Mother's Daughter

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A raw and affecting memoir about a mother and daughter who beat the odds together, this story intricately weaves Perdita Felicien's life with her mother's, Catherine. At seventeen, Catherine is determined and tenacious, yet pregnant with her second child and struggling to survive in St. Lucia by selling homemade jewelry. Her life changes when she meets a wealthy Canadian family vacationing on the island. After babysitting their infant son, she asks them to take her to Canada as a nanny, and they agree. This marks the start of a new life filled with opportunity but also profound suffering. In Canada, Catherine finds herself pregnant for the third time, this time with Perdita, and without family support. Together, they face poverty, racism, domestic abuse, and homelessness, but Catherine's resilience helps them endure. As Perdita discovers her extraordinary athletic gifts, destined for Olympic greatness, her mother's love and determination propel her forward. Through literal and figurative hurdles, she learns to leap and rise after every fall. Beautifully written and deeply absorbing, this memoir highlights the transformative power of a parent's love in shaping a child's life.