The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother- Daughter Story by Laura Davis

The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother- Daughter Story by Laura Davis

This riveting memoir by Laura Davis, coauthor of The Courage to Heal, examines the endurance of mother-daughter love, how memory protects and betrays us, and the determination it takes to fulfill a promise when ghosts from the past come knocking.

When she published The Courage to Heal in 1988, Laura Davis helped more than a million women work through the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. But her decision to go public with her grandfather's incest deepened an already painful estrangement with her mother, Temme.

Over the next twenty years, from a safe distance of three thousand miles, Laura and Temme reconciled their volatile relationship and believed that their difficult past was behind them. But when Temme moves across the country to entrust her daughter with the rest of her life, she brings a faltering mind, a fierce need for independence, and the seeds of a second war between them. As the stresses of caregiving rekindle Laura's rage over past betrayals, they threaten her intention to finally love her mother "without reservation." Will she learn what it means to be truly openhearted before it's too late?

Dearest Readers,

In the ten years it took me to write The Burning Light of Two Stars, my seventh book, I couldn’t wait for the day when it would be in the hands of readers. Now that day has finally come. I believe that reading is a collaboration between author and reader, so now it’s your turn to bring your heart, life lessons, and family stories to these pages. I hope you find my mother daughter memoir as compelling and evocative as my 150 beta readers did:

“The Burning Light of Two Stars is riveting, an effortless read. I’m in two book groups, and at any given time I am reading two or three books concurrently. I put them all down for this one. It’s just that good.” --Olivia Bethea, Atlanta, Georgia, podcaster and book club member

“I read all night, and I do not give up sleep easily. The Burning Light of Two Stars fed my soul.” --Eileene Tejada, Ph.D. Professor of English and Anthropology at Napa Valley College

“From the opening moment when Laura Davis is called into life by her mother, to their braided, sometimes twisted, often beautiful, long life together, The Burning Light of Two Stars takes us on a journey of two unforgettable, larger-than-life characters. We are pulled into their story and their struggles, and read on to discover if they will find it within themselves to make peace together. A tour de force of indelible scenes woven together in an innovative structure, it seemed to me that the pages literally turned themselves. Laura Davis’s first book in nineteen years is a major publishing event, not to be missed.” — Carolyn Brigit Flynn, author of Communion and editor of Sacred Stone, Sacred Water

"I was completely captivated by this story. It was one of those books you start reading and feel as if you've stumbled on a treasure." —Yasmin Kerkez, Founder of Moving Beyond Family Struggles

“From the very first page, I didn’t want this beautiful, compelling story to end. And for me, it hasn’t: Laura’s memoir and all of her characters have stayed with me to this day.” --Kay Taylor, author of Soul Path Way

“Caregiving an elderly parent, especially against the backdrop of a difficult shared past, can be a bruising spiritual ordeal. We who must travel this territory don’t need any more sentimental narratives about it. What we do need is the healing medicine of truth-telling, and Laura Davis brilliantly and generously gives it to us. I literally could not put this book down.” --Katy Butler, bestselling author of Knocking on Heaven’s Door and The Art of Dying Well

If you’d like to see if The Burning Light of Two Stars hooks you from the beginning, I invite you to read the first five chapters on my website, far more than an Amazon sample. www.theburninglightoftwostars.com

You’ll also find links to buy the book in paperback, digital and audiobook formats, get signed copies, and purchase copies in bulk.

I’d also be delighted to visit your book club. You can access my book club guide here:www.lauradavis.net/bookclubs

Laura Davis is the author of The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother-Daughter Story, the story of her loving yet tumultuous relationship with her mother, and six other nonfiction books, including The Courage to Heal, I Thought We‘d Never Speak Again, and Becoming the Parent You Want to Be. Her groundbreaking books have been translated into 11 languages and sold two million copies. In addition to writing books that inspire and change people’s lives, the work of Laura’s heart is to teach—helping people find their voices, tell their stories, and hone their craft. Laura loves creating supportive, intimate writing communities online, in person, and internationally. At her website, you can read the first five chapters of her new memoir, learn about Laura’s books and workshops, and receive a free e-book: Writing Through Courage: A 30-Day Practice.