Squirrel Pie: A memoir

Detroit is a thriving blue-collar town in the 1970s, an era when alcoholism and dysfunction thrive behind closed doors. When fifteen-year-old Debbie accepts a new babysitting job she has no idea that it will forever alter her life. Mac, father of the young children she cares for, slowly begins to groom Debbie with words of praise and flattery.

Longing for emotional connection she agrees to run away with Mac, only to find herself trapped in desperate poverty with a violent alcoholic. She raises three children on roadkill meals and makes herself small and compliant, waiting for someone to save her.

When Mac’s violence threatens more than just Debbie's life, she discovers the strength to say, “No more.” Little does she know, however, that leaving her abuser will involve a kidnapping, a murder, and an interstate FBI manhunt.

Squirrel Pie is a true story of the painful realities around abuse, addiction, mental illness, and generational trauma. It is also a success story; a story in which perseverance, resilience, compassion, and unexpected allies lead Debbie to a life of healthy connections and choosing joy.