Lost & Found

In her acclaimed memoir, Kitty gives readers an up close look at that primal relationship between mother and daughter. Taking the reader on a searing and hopeful journey, she tells the story of her mother and herself – two very different people – struggling with the clash of their independent personalities and their need for and eventual dependency on each other. Kitty shares with readers the troubles that kept her and her mother at a distance, including alcoholism and eating disorders. And she forthrightly addresses an issue that many of the baby boomer generation struggle with: the conflict between caring for family, caring for an aging parent, and caring for one’s soul. Readers will value Kitty’s frankness and honesty, as she tells of her struggles with shame and feelings of inadequacy and of her discovery of the forgiveness and unconditional love available in a personal relationship with Jesus.

“Anyone who has ever had a strained maternal relationship, harbored a secret addiction, felt the unrelenting pressure of the sandwich generation or struggled to access God’s grace through it all should read this beautifully pitched memoir. Slattery writes of growing up with an emotionally distant mother and a father who eventually slid away into alcoholism. Pressured about her weight, Slattery became bulimic in high school and carried this devastating secret for years. Even after finding Christ in college, she continued to struggle with the cycle of weakness, capitulation and self-loathing until she began to heal with the help of a loving husband. Bits and pieces of the tense mother-daughter relationship thread through the story, until finally, her mother moves into the in-law apartment attached to her home, and Slattery gradually becomes her primary care giver as her mother’s health declines. The grace and insights that leak out over the final decade of their time together soften the harsh edges of Slattery’s life story and bring the memoir to a gentle, satisfyingly redemptive close: ‘In God’s economy, nothing in life goes to waste.'”
Publisher’s Weekly, Review: December 24, 2007

“…A sweetly written, frank but dignified memoir of faith, personal renewal, and the joy of learning to forgive.”
Family Circle (Book of the Month)

“Kathryn Slattery’s book Lost & Found is a beautifully told and heartfelt journey through the pains of growing up and the trials of growing old. With humor and luminous precision of words this book shows us that we are not alone in what can seem a troubling and confusing journey. When talented authors like Kathryn Slattery dig deep into their souls for the truth, a book like Lost & Found is the result.”
– Jane Stern, author, Ambulance Girl and Road Food

“… An intimate and deeply moving look at the healing powers of faith and love, Lost and Found is one of those books where once you start reading, you won’t be able to set it down.”
– Crossings Book Club

“With immense courage, Kathryn Slattery has walked back into the dark places in her own life, emerging with life-transforming insights for all those who, like so many of us, have…

  • Wrestled with self-destructive habits
  • Battled a negative self-image
  • Longed to make a connection with a parent who ducks intimacy

Reading Lost & Found was like sitting with a cup of tea with an old friend who trusts me enough to share the dark as well as the light-filled places in her life. Thanks to Slattery’s skill with words, I didn’t just read her story, I experienced it with her. I heard her mother’s “tinkly laugh like ice cubes in a tall cool glass of lemonade.” Watched “the crystal stopper on the decanter cast hundreds of tiny glittering rainbows dancing on the ceiling.” Felt the “marshmallow soft mattress” on an old double bed. Best of all, as she discovered new depths of God’s love, so did I. From a bowl of cake batter shattered on the floor, to the difficult final years with her mother, she makes the all-healing discovery that “nothing in life goes to waste.”
– Elizabeth Sherrill, author, All the Way to Heaven, and the inspirational best seller, The Hiding Place

“[Lost & Found is] a story of grace and healing that will impact many lives… I’m pleased to have a copy in our [Saddleback] Church library.”
– Rick Warren, best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life

Lost & Found is a powerful memoir of the secrets a girl struggles to unravel, and how a as a young woman she must unravel a secret of her own. It is a compelling story about connecting the dots – from childhood to adulthood – leading to a triumphant conclusion. With heartfelt writing and vivid scenes, Kathryn Slattery shows how the past can be redeemed in a bold and joyful present.”
– Rick Hamlin, Executive Editor, Guideposts magazine

Lost & Found is the best book I have read about overcoming an eating disorder, and about experiencing healing, forgiveness and reconciliation through the power of God’s love. It should be helpful to mothers and daughters everywhere.”
– Dr. William P. Wilson, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and founder of the Program for Christianity in Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Lost & Found is a refreshingly honest story of grace, forgiveness, redemption and love. It is a must-read for anyone whose life has been impacted by an eating disorder, as well as for anyone who is a mother or a daughter!”
– Joani Jack, M.D., and Judy Halliday, R.N., authors of Raising Fit Kids in a Fat World

Lost & Found takes us on a journey across the complicated terrain of one woman’s heartbreaking but ultimately redemptive relationship with her mother. Kathryn Slattery shares her story with both courageous honesty and compelling poignancy. This is a worthy read for anyone on the quest to find meaning and hope from the brokenness of their past.”
– Ian Morgan Cron, author, Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale

Lost & Found is the moving account of a daughter’s journey to wholeness. Kathryn Slattery explores in depth a complex mother-daughter relationship and in the process helps the reader discover truths that are relevant and applicable to every relationship. That is what makes the book so important.”
– James N. Lane, Founder, New Canaan Society (International men’s fellowship)

Lost & Found is an intimate and honest portrayal of a daughter’s struggle to love her mother as she learns to love herself. Through divine intervention, Kathryn Slattery finds the courage to forgive, and in the end discovers God’s grace. This memoir is an inspiration for all who are looking for hope and healing.”
– Daniel C. Walker, Executive Director, Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools (FOCUS)