Reversible Skirt: A Memoir

A compelling story of deep loss and triumph over injustice. An ideal example of the resilience of children told through the eyes of a little girl. Incredibly genuine and without guile — so say readers of this book.

On the verge of losing his children after his wife ends her life, a desperate father remarries in haste to reunite his family. It’s the 1950s. He is Catholic. Suicide is a sin, shameful. He tells his three little girls his new wife is their mother. Laura, a toddler, finds the woman strange and surprisingly bitter, but she trusts her father. Mommy must have changed, she thinks, like dough baking turns into bread. The truth, kept secret, festers.

Years later, Laura’s father is dying. His wife promises to love his girls as her own. Instead, she grows increasingly sadistic and vile.

No one can stop her from doing harm. Nevertheless, Laura and her sisters are not defeated. Their father’s wish that they stay together comes true, although not in the way he’d imagined.

Reversible Skirt, a memoir, is the tender telling of a little girl’s odyssey through an abusive childhood. If you like honest voices, characters that crackle with life, exquisite language, and true stories of strength in the face of adversity, you’ll love Laura McHale Holland’s heart-wrenching testament to the power of forgiveness and love.

Start reading your next favorite book today!