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By the time Sherrie was ten, roaming with Mom had led to seventeen moves—until the day Mom cried as she walked away and abandoned her children. Sherrie’s wandering then began and continued through eighteen more moves until her high school graduation. Her one saving grace was the couple who came to her rescue and saved her over and over.
As Sherrie tried to find what she’d lost, the convoluted path of her life was filled with bus stations, country-western music, soul-killing indifference, and the unlikeliest of characters—vividly complex, daring, and with deeply flawed personalities.
At twenty-two, Sherrie revisited what should have been the Lancasters’ forever home. It looked just as she remembered, except for a crack in the fireplace wall. That crack added character to the wall, yet she knew the crack caused by moving and abandonment had destroyed her family. It was up to her to rebuild her life.
Sherrie Lancaster’s story is powerful and painfully honest as she shows us what it took to feel whole again.
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“… Sherrie Lancaster recounts her abandonment by her mother and a life-long quest to find the love and acceptance she lost. Skillfully written, the story flows smoothly, and readers will sympathize with Lancaster’s emotional pain … those in similar situations will relate to Lancaster’s struggles, heartfully detailed in the pages.”
—BlueInk Review
“Sherrie Lancaster writes with raw emotion in this honest work that fully explores the devastating effects of trauma that can stay with a person for the rest of their life. There’s a tremendous amount of sympathy and empathy to be found in the work … using an adult perspective to explore the confusion she felt as a young child. Overall, Cracks of Destruction is recommended for fans of emotive memoirs dealing with profound family dynamics.”
—K.C. Finn, Reader’s Favorite
“As one of the estimated 7,000+ abandoned children in the US each year, author Sherrie Lancaster shows us that generational trauma continues to impact lives. Sherrie narrates her journey with day by day, year by year attention to detail. Her relationships, both disastrous and heartwarming, are written with uninhibited candor and raw emotion. Sherrie’s story will make you cry, feel completely heartbroken, and laugh out loud as you follow her search for a family unit and personal identity. Cracks of Destruction is at once a history, a memoir, an autobiography, and a life lesson on how to be strong and just keep going.”
—Kathleen Perreault, MS, CCC-Sp
“… an unflinching portrayal of a life plagued by fractured relationships, yearning for love, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit. Through Lancaster’s introspective prose, she invites readers to bear witness to her struggles, painting a vivid picture of a life marked by profound longing, heartbreaking disappointment, and the unyielding pursuit of healing. Cracks of Destruction is not an easy book to read but it is a worthy one. It will resonate with people who appreciate intimate testaments to the power of resilience and the unbreakable bonds that we often have to create ourselves in the family we build in our adulthood …”
—Asher Syed, Readers’ Favorite
“Cracks of Destruction: A Daughter’s Search for Home is a story of how a woman deals with the demons of her past. This emotional read will call out to your heart … The heartfelt emotions this book showcases is a remarkable story … the perfect example of what it takes to survive.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Cracks of Destruction by Sherrie Lancaster is the account of events, people, places, problems, and solutions the author has experienced throughout her life. Her survival is nothing short of inspiring. I recommend this memoir to anyone who enjoys autobiographies that reflect a personal view of the world from someone who endured so much controversy and adversity.
—Amy Raines, Readers’ Favorite
“Bittersweet as it accepts past pains for the sake of personal growth … Narrated with a sense of immediacy, the book conveys Lancaster’s feelings of fear, desperation, and confusion with clarity … a heartfelt memoir about finding home …”
—Foreword Clarion Reviews
After fifty-two years in the workforce, Sherrie Lancaster retired just in time for the COVID-19 lockdown. Although staying home was wonderful, she soon realized she had retired to clean house and not to take her dream vacation. So she dusted off her first dream—the manuscript she needed to turn into a book to reach those who need its message.
From an early age, Sherrie knew she had to write this story because she never stopped thinking about her unusual childhood. It was great to think about the kid-perfect places where she lived back in Idaho, but those times kept interfering. She considered that maybe—by writing it all down—she would become the owner of her heart instead of those childhood events continuing to own her.
When Sherrie began writing, she struggled to put together an engaging sentence, but after twenty years of writing and rewriting, she finally learned how to craft and tell her story.
Sherrie Lancaster lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her son Samuel. She sincerely hopes that Cracks of Destruction will help others as much as it helped her by writing it.
“Cracks Chapters” Spotify playlist contains all of the book’s chapter headings songs, as well as other songs mentioned in the book. Cracks Country, Rock, Traditional Pop, and Mix playlists contain a few of the many songs I’ve loved.
Questions or comments? Complete the form below Sherrie will respond to you within two business days.
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Complete the form below and you will be redirected to the chapter to read.
Submitting your email address for the chapter read also subscribes you to our mailing list. We value your privacy and we do not sell, rent, or lease our email lists to third parties. We promise not to over-email you either.
