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.