A Smoke and a Song: A Memoir

January 2021, ten months into the global pandemic, Sherry Sidoti's mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer--so Sherry prioritizes a trip to Manhattan over long-awaited empty-nesting and her "second chance" with fiancé Jevon. With new life blooming and loss looming, she is beckoned to answer the question that has haunted her since childhood: is freedom found in "letting go," as the spiritual teachers (and her mother) insist--or is it found by digging our heels deeper into the earth and holding on to our humanness?

A Smoke and a Song is Sherry's story of her quest to make meaning from the memories homed in her body. Told with tenacity, tenderness, and wry humor, Sherry stumbles towards self-actualization, spiritual awakening--and, despite it all, love. This is a story steeped in art and spirituality that explores the complexities of transgenerational maternal bonds, attachment, loss, and leaning in to our wounds to find the wisdom.


Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: She Writes Press
Published: 08/01/2023
ISBN: 9781647425098
Pages: 304

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001
Publishers Weekly 06/05/2023