Seeds of Thorns

To an outsider, Marie DeLardi lived an enviable childhood. As the daughter of an executive for Royal Dutch Shell, she was raised in various exotic locales throughout South America, had a staff of servants and regularly mingled in international circles. But Marie had a tarnished relationship with her mother and as their disputes increased in frequency and intensity, she realized something was very wrong. When Marie suffered a nervous breakdown in her early 20's and her brother and sister subsequently committed suicide, it was revealed that Marie's mother was paranoid schizophrenic. Her mother denied that she was ill and refused therapy for many years until Marie had her committed. In Seeds of Thorns, Marie describes her life while growing up and recalls her internal and external exploration for answers. Her story shows how she survived tragedy and used her loss as a means to help others.