At 30, although Stephanie Foo is immensely successful on paper — she's won awards for her radio shows and is in a loving relationship — she is unhappy. Foo finds herself experiencing panic attacks and sobbing in her office. After years of therapy, she finally received her diagnosis; Foo has complex PTSD, a condition that occurs when trauma repeatedly happens over several years.

In this intensely intimate memoir, Foo shares her experience grappling with complex PTSD and investigates the science and treatment for this little-understood diagnosis. In part one, Foo brings the readers through her agonizing childhood, where her parents abused and eventually abandoned her. While part one is tough to read, and I had to take little breaks in between because of the violence she endured, the remaining memoir takes on a less intense tone.

BONES is a great blend of personal stories and research on trauma, where Foo brilliantly explains scientific jargon in a way the average reader could understand and feel engaged. As a certified nerd, the science and treatments behind complex PTSD are intriguing to read, particularly the studies about epigenetics inheritance. SHE HAS HER MOTHER'S LAUGH (Carl Zimmer) and ANCESTOR TROUBLE (Maud Newton) are two great companion books for those interested in this topic.

I sincerely appreciate Foo's courage in sharing her experience and vulnerability in BONES. Her resilience and curiosity are profoundly moving, and I enjoy reading about Foo's journey to find her community and reimagine her family.