Susanne Antonetta Livres

For readers of A Civil Action and Refuge, a harrowing story of a body and a place--the New Jersey boglands, one of the most contaminated regions of the country. This is an American story. Two immigrant families drawn together from wildly different parts of the world, Italy on one side and Barbados on the other, pursued their vision of the American dream by building a summer escape in the boglands of New Jersey, where the rural and industrial collide. They picked gooseberries on hot afternoons and spent lazy days rowing dinghies down creeks. But the gooseberry patch was near a nuclear power plant that released record levels of radiation, and the creeks were invisibly ruined by illegally dumped toxic waste. One by one, family members found their bodies mirroring the compromised landscape of the Barrens: infertile and damaged by inexplicable growths. Soon the area parents were being asked to donate their children's baby teeth to be tested for radiation. Body Toxic is an environmental memoir--merging the personal and familial with the political and environmental. Intensely intimate and starkly contemporary, it is a story of bravery and resignation, of great hope and great loss. This beautifully composed book presents American families in the midst of the wreckage of the American dream.

Focusing on the unique abilities of individuals who are differently wired, this award-winning exploration delves into mental health's complexities. It highlights the strengths and perspectives that come from diverse neurological experiences, offering valuable insights into understanding and appreciating those who think and feel differently. The book's literary quality and impactful message have earned it recognition from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, making it a significant contribution to discussions surrounding mental health.

The memoir explores the journey of adopting an infant from Seoul, focusing on the emotional and cultural challenges faced by Susanne Antonetta and her husband. Their experience begins dramatically at the airport and evolves into lessons about parenthood, including the joys and struggles of sleepless nights and unconditional love. Unique to their story are the discussions around Jin's birth parents and the complexities of navigating race in America, highlighting the profound impact of cultural identity on their family life.