Local author Carrie Highley’s memoir is at once poetic and poignant, and often painful, as she describes wrestling to understand who she is deep inside. All this was while outwardly she wore the trappings of society’s notion of a perfect existence—she was married to a doctor and the mother of two sons.
With refreshing honesty, Carrie describes how a clandestine love affair with a female cycling companion unfolded slowly but with certainty, and how it eventually led to acknowledging her own sexual identity. Throughout the book, she shares her email exchanges with a supportive friend who helped her navigate the difficult path that led to her coming out to her family and friends.
Chris Lemig, author of The Narrow Way, says, “Coming out is a long hard road. Its twists, turns, and switchbacks can be painful and confusing, not only to the one coming out but also to the ones she loves… Carrie Highley guides us through the sometimes heartbreaking confusion of her path with bravery and tenderness. It is an important story that will surely help others find the way to accepting their true selves.” Carrie told The Laurel that writing this book has indeed changed her life, primarily she says, because “I chose to embrace the good, the bad, the ugly, and ride with it.”
Blue Apple Switchback: A Memoir, nonfiction, 2016, softcover, $16.95, by Carrie Highley, and published by She Writes Press, Berkeley, California. There will be a book launch at 7 p.m. on June 24 at Malaprop’s Bookstore in downtown Asheville.
