If You Were My Daughter with Marianne Richmond and Renee Roederer

Join us in Ann Arbor for an event with author Marianne Richmond to celebrate her memoir, If You Were My Daughter!

This dynamic event will include a conversation with Renee Roederer, who serves as the Senior Director of Programs and Community Care at the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, as well as a memoir-writing workshop, led by Marianne Richmond.

Please note that this conversation will discuss sensitive topics such as childhood trauma and medical emergencies.

We recommend bringing a notebook and a writing utensil to participate in the memoir-writing workshop. Writers of all stages and interest levels are welcome!

We love seeing who is planning to join us! Your RSVP helps us prepare to host you.

About the Book:

From bestselling children's author Marianne Richmond comes a powerful memoir about overcoming a mother's emotional neglect and finding the courage to reclaim the story of your life.

"In her beautiful memoir, Richmond bravely finds her way through a legacy of emotional trauma, pulling us into her courageous, tender heart while bringing us closer to our own…a stunning story."—Kelly McDaniel, LPC, author of Mother Hunger

At nine years old, Marianne Richmond's life is upended when she collapses on her kitchen floor with full-body convulsions. "Pinched nerve," says the ER doctor, a baffling explanation. But when one episode becomes many, it's clear something is wrong. Afraid to be at school, in her body and in her life, Marianne desperately hopes for help and healing. But her emotionally unavailable mother—still reeling from her own past trauma—refuses medication on Marianne's behalf, preferring to try prayer and homeopathy.

At age 18, a full-body seizure in Marianne's dorm room leads her to a diagnosis, medication, and—at long last—neurological intervention. Physically, Marianne feels "fixed," but emotional healing proves more elusive. In the years to come, Marianne becomes a parent herself, and writes a new story for her life. She authors children's books that touch millions of lives, each of them celebrating a mother's unconditional love for her children. A love her own heart still longs to know. When her mother becomes ill, Marianne has a choice to make: will she be present for the mother who rarely felt present to her?

If You Were My Daughter is a story of learning to hear your own voice, of one daughter's return to wholeness, and ultimately, a story of accepting that, despite all hope and longing, a mother's "best I could" can still fall far too short. Most of all, Marianne Richmond illuminates how the stories we're born into shape the ones we tell about ourselves—and reminds us that we have the powerful permission to develop a new relationship with what is difficult in our lives, to fully choose and embody who we are meant to be.

Not able to join us? Order your copy here: https://www.schulerbooks.com/book/9781464231902

About the Author:

Bestselling author Marianne Richmond, M.A.has touched the lives of millions over the past two decades through her delightful picture books that give voice to the heart and help you connect with the people you love. Additionally, she holds a Masters of Arts in clinical mental health counseling.

For 16 years, Marianne ran her own publishing company, winding down in 2010 to make way for a partnership with Sourcebooks, Inc., one of the leading and largest independent publishers in North America. Since then, she has traveled the country, reading to and speaking with thousands of children about celebrating their own voice and stories. Though Publisher’s Weekly calls her “an author on the rise,” Richmond's favorite letter is from an elementary school teacher who said, “I feellike a better me after reading your books.”

Marianne lives in Franklin, TN with her husband, four kids, and one beloved dog, Otis.

About the Conversation Partner:

Renee Roederer serves as the Senior Director of Programs and Community Care at the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, where she leads initiatives that expand connection, advocacy, and support for people with epilepsy and their families. She lives in Ann Arbor, where enjoys e-biking, choral singing, and nature photography. One of her greatest joys is the large, chosen family she has gathered over time, with whom she shares laughter, reflection, and life.