As a teenager in Queens, New York in the 1970s, Harris bore two secrets: the beatings of a mother swiftly descending into mental illness, and her uncle`s yearlong sexual abuse. Always on the brink of exploding, Harris sought relief through literature and theater, but couldn`t eradicate the rage that simmered inside her. In candid, revealing prose, Harris tells the story of a life haunted by violence but that also shimmers with all the complexities of love.