I have all kinds of books in my head, but this one had to come first.  It starts at the beginning, quite literally. The place where all our stories start--with our families and the people and places that imprint us like fossils.

Rooted to Rise is a collection of essays about people—some have achieved extraordinary worldly success, and some have led what society might label “ordinary lives.”  But the stories are far less about what my people have done and far more about who they are, or were, or always will be through the impact they had on those around them.

It’s a book about how the intersections of our lives make us who we are.

The people I write about in Rooted to Rise are my people.  But everybody has some.  I hope you recognize and remember yours through the stories of mine.