Everything You Never Told Me

Patricia was born deaf. Her mother, Billie, refused to come to terms with the hardships Patricia faced as a result of being different from other children. After her parents divorced when she was only 3 years old, Patricia was subjected to a life inside of her mother's narcissism. Only after Billie died in 1984, did Patricia begin to uncover the unspeakable secrets her mother kept from her for over 30 years. One phone call from a hotel room in California changed everything. It turned out that Patricia never really knew her mother at all. It began with a collection of documents, letters, photographs, receipts, paystubs, news articles, random clippings, greeting cards, phone calls, and memories. My mother, Patricia, saved everything from her harrowing search for the truth enshrouded in her mother's lies. This account of my mother's astounding journey began with a promise we made to each other over ten years ago. We set off on a daunting task, but in reality, Everything You Never Told Me wrote itself. We needed to tell her story. No one would believe it had it not been true. -Jennifer Herbst