Dispatch from the Sandwich: New Memoir Chronicles Lessons from Care of Daughter’s Elderly Parents

PR Log (Press Release) – May 26, 2009 – Denver, CO and Novato, CA – Like a growing number of baby boomers, Ursula Hanks was nervous at the prospect of caring for her elderly parents. But the experience triggered soul-searching that’s resulted in a remarkable and moving new memoir that examines the importance of family--and is giving hope to others who find themselves in the same boat.

Just released through Outskirts Press (www.outskirtspress.com), “In My Heart” tells Hanks’ epic story, centered on her parents, their ancestry, and the goodness they brought with them to every place and every occasion. It’s a family’s story of passion, struggle, hardships and joy spanning generations and continents, weaving in and out Hanks’ mother’s journey of progressive dementia.

Hanks came to America at age 11 as her family sought refuge from a broken Europe after World War II. Before she turned 22, she would be mother to four children and wife to an alcoholic husband. What followed, including the loss of a son and abuse from her spouse, tested her strength and resolve--but her extreme closeness to her parents became her fortress as she sought escape. Years later, she found comfort with a husband who would become her best friend for more than 25 years as she rebuilt her life.

But when Hanks’ mom and dad ask to move in with them, her life is once again set topsy-turvy. She and husband Marty must adjust to a profound role reversal that will be their biggest challenge yet, all while watching the slow but unstoppable decline of Hanks’ beloved mother to Alzheimer’s. That’s when they wrestle with the questions so many boomers are dealing with: How to maintain a sense of space and privacy in an enlarged home? To send Mom to a home or wait? What if she’s not well cared for there? And, worst of all, Does she even remember who we are?

The soul-searching it takes in order to move on in life resonates unmistakably as her parents’ condition elicits fresh insights into buried, decades-old memories. The result is a renewed sense of inner strength and acceptance as she learns the most valuable thing in life isn’t anything you can buy--but, rather, time.

“In My Heart” is now available through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and the online bookstore of Outskirts Press, at outskirtspress.com/store.php.

Book Statistics
ISBN: 978-1-4327-2386-6
Suggested Retail Price:
US$13.95, CAN$17.95
Size and Format: 6.14x9.21 Paperback
Page Count: 108
Genre: Family - General

About the Author: Ursula Hanks was born in Sagan, Germany in 1943. After fleeing to Bavaria in 1945 with her mother and sister and re-uniting with her father, she lived in Northern Germany and immigrated to San Francisco in 1955. In 1964 she moved to Marin County where she raised her family and furthered her education. She currently resides and works in Marin with her husband.

Author Contact: Visit her on the Web at www.outskirtspress.com/ ursulahanks_inmyheart

About Outskirts Press, Inc.: Outskirts Press, Inc. offers full-service, custom self-publishing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books worldwide while retaining all their rights and full creative control. Available for authors globally at www.outskirtspress.com and located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Outskirts Press represents the future of book publishing, today.



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