Pushing Through

About the Book

Imagine escaping from a toxic parental family situation into the arms of a cultish church that idolizes marriage and family (at least on paper), expecting many children to follow. Obediently, you marry, only to find that your husband’s life is dominated by the overwhelming demands of the church, leaving you with the lion’s share of raising your five children. You find the situation unendurable and feel trapped. In this frank and revealing narrative, the author graphically portrays the despair of that position and the gradual release when first rejecting Mormonism, then receiving confirmation that her husband has Asperger syndrome, and finally finding freedom together within an orthodox Christian faith.

About the Author

The author was born in Northern Ireland, where she enjoyed a stable and generally happy childhood. Her family emigrated to Canada (against her mother’s wishes) when she was twelve. When her parents’ marriage failed soon after, her relationship with her mother became intolerable, and she left home and learned to make her own way in the world. Returning to Northern Ireland in her early twenties, she obtained a degree in sociology and embraced Mormonism. Persuaded by Church leaders that marriage was her duty, she and her husband, who proved to have undiagnosed Asperger syndrome, had five children, the first four in as many years. She went on to obtain a master’s degree in American studies and, on rejecting Mormonism, studied Christian Apologetics at Oxford University.