Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir

Grimes’ memoir-in-verse describes her traumatic youth in the 1950s and 1960s in New York with a mentally ill mother and gambler father. Following their parents’ divorce, Grimes and her sister are placed in foster care where they face more challenges and are finally reunited with their mother when she remarries. This honest, engaging memoir deals sensitively with the impacts of mental illness, alcoholism, dysfunctional families, self-identity, dealing with adversity, and the importance of positive relationships and positive thinking. Suitable for a class novel, literature circle choice, or as an independent novel selection in grades 10-12.