Madeline Ruiz de la Vara Olea

Magdalena Madeline Ruiz de la Vara Olea

What started out as a simple desire to leave her descendants a family history by writing her children's and grandchildren's birth stories and her own childhood story has, almost ten years later, resulted in this memoir. Once the historical pieces were completed, the author realized that someone could read her stories and "still not know who I really am - what I think, what I believe, what makes me uniquely me." So, over the course of several years, Madeline Olea wrote reflections on topics of importance to her: domestic violence, mental illness, death, political activism, work, education, disability, and the Catholic Church. Some of her opinions may shock you; some of her stories may remind you of your own family; and some of her reflections may challenge you to reflect.