9An indomitable human spirit ...

is it something with which one is born?

Or does one learn not to survive, but to thrive?

In this "memoir of becoming well," Ellyn Mantell shares her profound journey of healing from childhood trauma. Raised by parents whose meager servings of affection were balanced out with a steady diet of abuse and neglect, Ellyn and her sisters often turned to each other for emotional nourishment. Like many survivors of child abuse, they struggled with shame, imposter syndrome, and severe self-doubt. When Ellyn became a mother, she was determined to leave her pain and insecurities behind and break the cycle of intergenerational abuse.

The Best We Could shares what can happen when we face our demons, commit to wellbeing, and choose to live above and beyond our trauma.