Hope is a Four-Letter Word - Paperback

This is a harrowing story about narcissistic abuse, neglect, mental and emotional trauma. This book is also about a journey through healing, forgiveness and understanding. It's about a very human individual and her life journey up to this point in time.

The book talks about mistakes made, misfortune and climbing up from the valleys and getting to the peaks in life from the brink of suicide. I have to admit, it is an epic story. It is the most difficult story she has had to ever write. There were many tears and words written at 2am.

It talks about a family who has endured trauma throughout 2 or likely more generations and how 2 individuals passed the trauma to their child(ren). They simply did not know that there was a better way to go and raise children.

This book is my story. I hope to share it to help others. Again, if this story helps one person to heal, I've done my job.

Melissa Malikowski is an Academic Programs Manager at the University of Minnesota. She also works as a pharmacy technician at a local grocery chain. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology focusing on Law, Criminology, and Deviance and a Master's Degree in Human Resource Development.

She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her dog, near but not too near, her family.

She loves reading, writing, being active, and being around (small) groups of people. She is an introverted nerd and a very square peg in a round hole for which she is SUPER PROUD. Melissa hangs with the other weirdos in the forest of life or those who seem to understand her best.

Melissa is also taking acting classes which she absolutely loves. She loves comedy and is kind of a work-in-progress with dramas, currently.