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
New From the Blog
A Memoir in Progress
Last year I attended IWWG Summer Conference at the prompting of my IWWG friends, Deborah Reed and Lisa Shapiro. It was my first writing conference and I was simply mesmerized by how important and fulfilling it was. I have to say it exceeded all of my expectations and...
Because we always think we have more time….
My dear childhood friend Nancy was admitted into hospice today. Regrettably this isn’t news that surprised me. I knew cancer had attacked her lungs and brain and had become increasingly aggressive this year. We spoke as recently as last month about the extent of her...
Letter to Stranger at the Book Launch
Dear Kind Sir, After I finished my reading from Secret Son at the Shaking The Tree book launch, you tapped me on my shoulder. I turned quickly, expecting to see a friend or family member.I didn’t recognize you, but your shy smile sent me smiling back. Your eyes were...
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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.
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