<b>Now in paperback—</b><b>“The triumph of Kelle Groom's memoir lies in her plangent, poetic prose as she lays bare the onset of her alcoholism at age fifteen, the child she bore and gave up at nineteen, and her dead-end jobs, upset parents, blackouts, hookups, and, eventually, slow and steadfast embrace of a sober, creative life” (<I>Elle</i>).<I></i></b><P>Exploring the most painful aspects of her addiction and loss, delving deep into her family history to uncover the source, Kelle Groom traces with unflinching clarity and breathtaking grace the complex forces that come together to shape a life, a death, and a literary voice. An unforgettable against-the-odds tale, <I>I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl </i>reveals the mysterious ways human suffering can be redeemed.