Closed Chapters: A Memoir

by Nicole White

Born a biracial twin sister through an extramarital affair between a preacher and an absent mother, at an early age, Nicole was ripped from all that she knew more than once—being placed into foster care and suffering physical and sexual abuse.

As each chapter opens and closes, this vulnerable memoir details one woman's lived witness of living in fear and her journey to learning resiliency despite the trauma she experienced.

But thankfully, her story does not end there...

Today, Nicole is a mother to two exceptional children, a Chief Petty Officer in the world's greatest Navy, and has received her Master's Degree in Public Administration. She attributes her survival and continuous fight to heal and move forward to God and His love for her, which has planted the seed of her love for people, joy for helping others, and courage to share her transformational and impactful testimony.

391 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 19, 2023

Reviews

[Laura Freehafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. As an educator I think Nicole’s story needs to be read and understood. This young lady was failed by so many systems that are supposed to take care and protect children. I appreciate her sharing her story with the world so we can all grow, change, and create safe places for families especially children to thrive.

[Ruth Brann · Rating 5 out of 5]

prevailing in spite of tremendous hardship

I am inspired byNicole’s journey. Not many people survive that type of emotional and physical trauma. I relate to her story and is inspired by her power to build a life for herself . I look forward to reading more about her testimony of succeeding through her past trauma. Truly inspiring.

[Tammy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 out of 10! Must Read! I don't really read often but this book has me wanting...No, needing more!

[CatherineAda Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely have I been captivated by a memoir, but White’s greatest gift as a writer is her talent with innovative descriptions and recreating dialogue that draws the reader into her world. It’s a dark place of traumatic, systemic physical and sexual abuse and never-ending foster care placements. The author is masterful at illustrating the classic protective behaviors that trauma survivors learn, like denial, dissociation, distrusting others and herself and self-destructive patterns. Yet even as a child, White found some comfort in the few lights that brightened her life – a social worker, a foster mom, a teacher and the brief, early memories of being loved by her “Pap Paw”.

Closed Chapters recounts her life to the age of about 17 and invites readers to continue following her journey into healing and recovery in her planned volumes two and three. This reader will make sure to buy a copy.

[Phil Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quote: “You only hurt the one you love” is likely a souvenir most of us take from our upbringing. In Nicole’s case, I’d venture a guess it’s more like PTSD or battle fatigue. And Nicole not only survived her early years, she found the courage to excel. Congratulations on your endurance and resilience.
I give this account four stars. It is a charming read, but I found that the story dragged its feet through a lot of superfluous detail in some places. Although I give Nicole five stars as a person.