Otherwise, I'm Fine

"Otherwise, I'm Fine follows the intimate journey Presnell undertakes as she recaptures her past, breaks years of silence, and in the process restores her family. It is a powerful testimony that love overcomes grief."—Susan Fox Rogers, author of Learning the Birds: A Midlife Adventure

"Otherwise, I'm Fine is a story about connection—how we connect, disconnect, reconnect. Presnell is a gifted and gutsy writer. Her memoir is utterly compelling, full of longing and grace."—Judy Goldman, author of Child: A Memoir

"I have always admired Barbara Presnell's lyrical gifts, and in Otherwise, I'm Fine she has created a memoir, crafting a sacramental relationship with her long-dead father who suffered, fought, and then returned home from World War II's European Theater. Presnell's writing is lucid and full of details. This is a beautiful book."—John Lane, author of Gullies of My People

"With heartrending poignancy and powerful prose, Presnell's memoir ping-pongs between her traumatic youth in small-town North Carolina and her family's healing journey. As she and her siblings retrace their late father's steps as a young soldier in 1944–45 Europe, they open doors to reconciliation—on every level."—Holly George-Warren, author of Janis: Her Life and Music