We Never Used the F Word, A Memoir

In this memoir, written in layered vignettes surrounding an object, the narrator chronicles her early to middle childhood as the youngest child in a staunchly Catholic family and how the death of her father when she was seven impacted her and her relationship with her mother. Told with insight,humor,and grace of spirit,she reminds us that grieving brings hope, and children need to speak about feelings. The narrator demonstrates how the loss of one parent contributes to the loss of the other parent for a time. She includes her life before her father's death, the grief process within her remaining nuclear family and the powerful influence of the Catholic church. She navigates her molestation by a family friend after the death of her father, the complex relationship with her mother, and how baseball, the Dodgers, and childhood friends can help to fill gaps. The book is written in two parts which begin with two questions from the Baltimore Catechism. First, "What is Prayer?" and second, "What is Hope?". The answer is, there is always hope.