Playing Tag on the Roof

Growing up with a father who became Boston's most notorious investment fraudster since Charles Ponzi and a mother who abandoned the family to become a Buddhist nun, Michael Madera and his brothers played a dangerous game of tag on their three-story roof—a metaphor for the precarious childhood that would shape his life.

In this powerful memoir-meets-psychological-guide, Madera weaves together gripping family stories, professional insights from his work as a Harvard-trained psychologist, and original songs written over three decades to explore how childhood trauma ripples through generations and how we can heal. From traditional therapy to psychedelic-assisted treatment, from artistic expression to spiritual seeking, Madera charts an innovative path to recovery that speaks to anyone wrestling with family wounds. Through interactive elements including recorded original music, this genre-defying book invites readers to explore their own journey of transformation while witnessing how one man turned childhood chaos into a life of purpose and healing.