Overview

In the depths of winter, Carmen Joy King loads her dog and all her possessions into a boxy Japanese hatchback and sets off on an improbable 4,000-kilometer solo drive to Mexico. Her destination: a remote psychedelic retreat where she hopes to find freedom from three decades of debilitating love addiction. Traversing mountain passes and desert highways, King confronts not just the dangers of the open road but the ghosts of her past-childhood wounds, patterns of seeking validation, and a series of relationships with emotionally unavailable men. As she moves through memories of growing up in rural Alberta, her years teaching in Japan, and a hasty marriage in Brazil, King examines the origins of her self-destructive patterns with unflinching honesty and unexpected humor. Don't Yell at Her! is a remarkable journey into the wilderness of healing, where the land's stark beauty mirrors King's own stripping away of defenses. Candid about her struggles with anxiety, body image, and self-worth, she discovers that true belonging comes not from external validation but from reconnecting with her soul. Raw, irreverent, and ultimately hopeful, this memoir speaks to anyone who has ever longed to break free from destructive cycles and find their way home to themselves.

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9781069752000

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Reviews

""Every woman will recognize some part, or parts, of themselves in this story, and will get lost in the vivid language that brings Carmen right into our hearts."" - Joan Flood, Left Unsaid ""King documents encounters with old flames, dead relatives, and wild animals-real and imagined. For fans of Cheryl Strayed, Jenny Slate, and Melissa Febos, this is a road trip memoir that grips you by the throat and doesn't let go."" -Joselin Linder, The Family Gene ""This is a rare, brutal look at how trauma shapes our most maddening behaviors, and how true freedom only comes softly and incrementally. This is a journey inward, but in King's capable hands, we come out renewed."" -Alle Mudrick, Blue Hour Homecoming ""Don't Yell at Her! is a searing, soul-baring account of a woman's search for healing at the crossroads of love addiction, trauma, and transcendence. It's about what we run from, what we carry, and the radical courage it takes to come home to ourselves."" - Branka Petrovic, Mechanics of a Gaze ""King's voice is sharp and lyrical, with a knack for capturing the vulnerability of rebuilding a life from the ground up. A daring exploration of freedom, healing and the power of reclaiming one's narrative."" -Bryan Armen Graham, The Guardian

Author Information

Carmen Joy King is a writer and artist. Born and raised in rural Alberta, she has lived in five countries and travelled extensively throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Her essays have appeared in Adbusters magazine, L'Officiel magazine, and The Humber Literary Review. King also spent over a decade writing copy for the world's top brands. After years living in Montreal, she has returned to her prairie roots where she lives with her dog Stevie and continues to paint and write. Don't Yell at Her! is her first book.

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