Oh, Ms. Ashley C. Ford. What a conversation. What a thinker and truth-teller you are. You cut right to the bone in the most interesting and magnetic way.

If you haven’t yet read the powerful memoir SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER, run don’t walk to pick it up and take it in. This book is a miracle. It is a searing, beautiful, heartbreaking testament to becoming not just somebody’s daughter, but somebody. It’s about forging identity and strength from the ashes of secrets. It’s about an upbringing that required a small child to be constantly vigilant. It’s about complex relationships with family. It’s about connecting mind and body in a way that feels safe. It’s about life itself.

And our conversation was as rich as Ashley’s writing. We talked about loyalty — to oneself and to one’s family — honesty, autonomy, and who our stories really belong to. As it turns out, we agree on the adage “Don’t go to the hardware store for milk” because, as Ashley says, “You can only drink so many nails.”

Ashley is a supernova of talent, and I can’t wait to read more from her!