An Exploration of Life, Love, and Loss
You’ll Forget This Ever Happened: Secrets, Shame, and Adoption in the 1960s
… is the story of Laura, an unwed teenager whose life takes a dramatic turn when she gives birth to her first-born son in New Orleans Louisiana in July of 1967 and is forced to relinquish him for adoption. It is an unforgettable story of a mother’s love and the secret she never forgot. It will answer questions in ways that will surprise you while revealing a world not that long ago that was harsh and judgmental in ways we cannot even imagine today.
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Praise
“Devastating and stunning—alive with attention to the abundance of the heart—this memoir will stay with you.”
—Julie Maloney, award-winning author of A Matter of Chance
“Engel’s transformation from lost girl to grounded matriarch is deeply moving, a story that stays with you long after you reach the last page.”
—Eileen Drennen, writer and editor whose essays have appeared in Literary Mama, The Rumpus and O, The Oprah Magazine
“Through her narrative, insightful self-revelations, struggles and willingness to expose her trauma, Engel creates an experience of intimacy for the reader that establishes a soulful friendship.”
—Kelly DuMar, author of Girl in Tree Bark
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Be Grateful For Your Angels
In my worst nightmare, I never could have imagined I would become a member of this club. Over the years, when a friend or acquaintance lost a child, I felt devastated for them. How are they still standing? I cannot even imagine. I cannot let my mind go there. I was...
Light Shining in The Distance
Already March 2021... Last year on March 1st Gene and I were in Washington State. We had traveled to see our grandson Jake, play baseball at Central Washington University, and had a perfect weekend: a cozy romantic Air BNB complete with a rushing stream flowing...
A Thankful Farewell To 2020 and Keeping the Faith in 2021
I will not say “what a year!” It sounds so cliché - so redundant now. We exhaust ourselves saying it. We exhausted ourselves living it. But if you are reading this, we did live it, and we are thankfully still here to talk about it. Instead, as we approach New Year’s...
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Get on Laura’s list and get her Starter Guide to finding a lost-loved one and tips to guide you through the process.
Meet Laura
Laura L. Engel likes to say she is late to the game as a budding new author. Originally from Biloxi, Mississippi, Laura has lived in Southern California for over 50 years. She and her husband, Gene are the proud parents of six grown children along with their significant others. They are delighted to be Grammy and PaPa to ten grandchildren.
Recently retired after 30 plus years as a regional sales representative for an international title insurance company, Laura left the corporate world and plunged headlong into her second career as a writer in 2017.