The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Spain, Sri Lanka: Marilyn Wouters has called all these countries home. But her astonishing book Picking Up the Pieces is far more than a richly detailed memoir of time spent in exotic locales among diverse peoples. Marilyn sweeps you along on a personal journey of heart-wrenching discovery and extraordinary courage. From confronting the swindler who seized her life savings and threatened to destroy her professional reputation...to escaping the control of a drug-dealing madman...to surviving attempted murder at the hands of her own husband, Marilyn overcame ordeals that might have crushed the spirit of a different woman. Today, buoyed by the love of friends from her travels around the world and the devotion of her animal companions, Marilyn tells her story with candor, grace, and humor. You need travel only so far as your armchair to read the unforgettable story of a life unlike any other. All proceeds from the sale of Picking Up the Pieces will provide continued support and fund veterinary care for stray dogs and feral cats and kittens (especially those who are physically disabled), whose lucky fate has brought them to "Marilyn's Ark".