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Table of Contents
About The Book
For fans of Suzanne Heywood’s Wavewalker and Cea Sunrise Person’s North of Normal comes Leslie Johansen Nack’s emotional follow-up memoir about her battle with addiction following a traumatic childhood—and her inspiring journey toward healing and happiness.
In the mid-1970s, Leslie Nack’s family returned from sailing to French Polynesia and began the integration process into American life again, which included being tossed back and forth between an alcoholic, mentally ill mother and an abusive, overbearing father.
To find love and acceptance, Leslie chases a myth that throws her into the path of nefarious older men, where she eventually falls into drug and alcohol addiction. Her father dies in his plane in the jungles of Mexico when Leslie is nineteen, but his abuse lingers in her psyche. She spirals, her only solace her next fix—until, somehow, she finds the grace, despite her abjectly dysfunctional family background, to believe in her worth. This newfound self-love changes everything for her, and finally she is able to find her way to sobriety and recovery.
Raw and intense but ultimately hopeful, this sequel to the popular memoir Fourteen tells the rest of Nack’s turbulent—and incredible—story.
In the mid-1970s, Leslie Nack’s family returned from sailing to French Polynesia and began the integration process into American life again, which included being tossed back and forth between an alcoholic, mentally ill mother and an abusive, overbearing father.
To find love and acceptance, Leslie chases a myth that throws her into the path of nefarious older men, where she eventually falls into drug and alcohol addiction. Her father dies in his plane in the jungles of Mexico when Leslie is nineteen, but his abuse lingers in her psyche. She spirals, her only solace her next fix—until, somehow, she finds the grace, despite her abjectly dysfunctional family background, to believe in her worth. This newfound self-love changes everything for her, and finally she is able to find her way to sobriety and recovery.
Raw and intense but ultimately hopeful, this sequel to the popular memoir Fourteen tells the rest of Nack’s turbulent—and incredible—story.
Product Details
- Publisher: She Writes Press (October 14, 2025)
- Length: 256 pages
- ISBN13: 9781647429966
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Raves and Reviews
“With unflinching honesty and an intimacy reminiscent of a teenage friendship, Leslie whispers secrets to the reader about affairs with men twice her age, confesses her confusion about wanting her father’s love while fearing the sickness in it, and lays bare the pain and pleasure of her addictions. Truly moving, Nineteen is a powerful reminder not to blame or shame girls for choices we don’t understand.”—Bridey Thelen-Heidel, author of Bright Eyes
“Leslie Johansen Nack isn’t afraid to take risks, and her incisive sophomore memoir, Nineteen, does not disappoint. As always, Nack’s writing is fearless and viscerally entertaining. Written with unsparing honesty and impressive resilience, Nineteen is a book to educate, intrigue, and inspire.”—Laura Cathcart Robbins, author of Stash: My Life in Hiding and host of The Only One in the Room podcast
“Nineteen is an intimate account of overcoming family trauma and drama. This detailed narrative evokes striking imagerythat brings the reader into the experience. May it inspire all those facing challenges and foster compassion for those finding their way.”—CH Stern, LMFT, psychotherapist
“Nineteen is immersive and riveting, gripping, and emotional. It is a story of resilience, strength, and a raw and unflinching exploration of survival and self-discovery. Nack has written a must-read memoir for anyone seeking to confront their past, understand the depth of family bonds, or find hope in the face of unimaginable adversity.”—Stephanie Thornton Plymale, author of American Daughter: A Memoir
“Nineteen combines a shockingly intimate, fast-paced adventure with a heartbreaking tale of abuse, neglect, addiction, and recovery. Prepare to weep and applaud Leslie Johansen Nack for this remarkably well-written, heart-pounding memoir.”—Gina Simmons Schneider, PhD, author of Frazzlebrain: Break Free from Anxiety, Anger, and Stress Using Advanced Discoveries in Neuropsychology
“Nineteen is a raw, inspiring story of survival filled with resilience, self-discovery, and ultimate triumph.”—Sophia Kouidou-Giles, author of Sophia’s Return: Uncovering My Mother’s Past
“Nineteen is a heartfelt and sobering memoir. Written with courage and honesty, it reveals the consequences of family dysfunction and the redemption and healing that are possible in the aftermath of trauma.”—Leslie Ferguson, author of When I Was Her Daughter
“Absolutely fabulous. Riveting. Horrifying. Courageous. Inspiring. A must-read.”—Judy Foreman, author of Let the More Loving One be Me
“The author recounts her traumatic coming of age in an honest, compelling voice, exposing her family’s dysfunction and her own poor choices with fascinating candor and evocative sensory details.”—Jennifer Silva Redmond, author of Honeymoon at Sea
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