Stranger in My Skin

Can you imagine cutting away bits of wrist skin with a toenail clipper until it meets the tender sheath of the vein? Alysa Phillips can. This young author, who became entangled with a menacing boyfriend, his cult-leader father, and the deranged vagabond who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart, helps us understand such bizarre acts of harm to one s own body. Growing up in a conventional Utah town with an exacting father who even counts the family's food, she later becomes involved with a polygamous cult and tries to cope with her various traumas through self-mutilation. You can check out a video intro to the book at: http://blip.tv/file/213649