Unfixed: A Memoir of Family, Mystery, and the Currents That Carry You Home

by Kimberly Warner

What do you do when the foundations of your life-family, identity, and health-begin to crack beneath your feet? In Unfixed, Kimberly takes readers on an unforgettable journey through the uncharted waters of family secrets, chronic illness, and the relentless search for truth and forgiveness.



When Warner's seemingly stable world begins to unravel, she discovers that her father-a figure both present and painfully absent-harbors a long-buried secret. This revelation propels her into an emotional labyrinth of discovery, forcing her to confront the ghosts of her past and redefine the meaning of home, family, and self.



Set against the backdrop of Warner's battle with an elusive and debilitating illness, Unfixed is a deeply intimate exploration of resilience and vulnerability. Warner masterfully weaves together threads of personal struggle and universal themes, painting a portrait of a life in flux that will resonate with anyone who has ever sought clarity in chaos.



At its heart, Unfixed is a story of reckoning-not only with the haunting specter of a lost father but also with the body's betrayal and the limits of medical certainty. With the lyricism of Dani Shapiro's Inheritance and the rich emotional depth of Where the Crawdads Sing, Warner crafts a narrative that is as gripping as it is profoundly moving.



Through luminous prose and unflinching honesty, Unfixed reveals the beauty and heartbreak of uncovering truths that were never meant to be found. It is a celebration of the human spirit's capacity to adapt and thrive in the face of the unknown, offering readers a poignant reminder that even in the most unfixed of lives, there is room for hope, connection, and self-discovery.



Perfect for readers who find solace in stories of resilience and transformation, Unfixed invites you to walk alongside Warner on a journey of uncovering, unraveling, and ultimately rebuilding.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

250 pages, Hardcover

First published November 11, 2025

About the author

Kimberly Warner is a filmmaker, author, and patient advocate whose work explores what it means to live fully in a body that doesn’t always feel well. After studying pre-med and biology at Colorado College and pursuing graduate training in naturopathic and classical Chinese medicine, she veered from a clinical path toward a creative one, trading diagnostics for documentary and turning questions of health into stories of meaning.

In 2015, a rare neurological condition, Mal de Débarquement Syndrome, upended her sense of gravity and direction, quite literally. That seismic shift became the seed of Unfixed, a multimedia platform she founded to amplify stories of people living with chronic illness and disability. Since then, her work has grown into a celebrated portfolio of award-winning docu-series, short films, podcasts, memoir and essays—all championing the radical notion that healing and brokenness can coexist. That sometimes broken is the fix.

Kimberly’s storytelling has earned honors from the Invisible Disabilities Association, HealtheVoices, and Life on the Level. She has screened at Harvard Medical School, contributed to innovative medical curricula, and serves on advisory boards that center the patient’s voice in health care and design.

She lives in rural Oregon with her husband, David, where they tend their small farm between creative projects. When she’s not editing films, harvesting calendula, or writing for her beloved Substack audience, she’s practicing what she preaches: loosening her grip, staying curious, and letting uncertainty become a place of peace.

Reviews

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warner's deeply moving account of her surprise parentage and health challenges would be compelling purely for the events alone, but Unfixed is not another crowded tour through tragedy. This isn't grief-slumming. But with a predisposition towards wisdom and an innate kindness, Warner makes a case for reconciliation with one's grief and circumstances, offering us a vision of how one can be knocked sideways, hold course at an odd angle, and find one's truest self. A beautiful memoir.

[Kim Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is riveting and transformational. It will pull you into its current and then drop you gently into an eddy where you can float in the mastery of storytelling that Kimberly delivers. The serendipity of her words meshing with those of the father she never knew, all while mourning the loss of the only father she did know is breathtaking. I read it when it was serialized and eagerly awaited each Sunday when the next chapter would be available. In book form, I wouldn't have put it down.

[Michael Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of exploration, becoming, and acceptance. This book had me gripped instantly. Following Kimberly through her journey of navigating her illness and the discoveries about her family left me enamoured by her courage, curiosity, and commitment to live a life of grace and reverence no matter what befalls us. Also, my god is this book written well, the prose floated off the page and into my heart. An absolute must read.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written so beautifully you could mistake it for fiction if it wasn’t for the fact that this is a story that you couldn’t make up. It’s an intense story of loss, unmooring and then refinding that makes me want to give all of the characters a hug. I was completely gripped as soon as I started it and read it in record time. I can’t wait to see what she might write next. Thanks to NetGalley and Alisa Kennedy Jones for the ARC.

[Susie Mawhinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfixed is a memoire written with breathtaking insight and love and honesty in the most divine prose imaginable. A story of untethered grief and discovery, leading the reader into a maze of family secrets one never wants to end. An impossible to stop reading, heartbreakingly beautiful, tender ghost-hunt of a story that carries you through every page as if you too were part of the family.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written, I enjoyed the way this book explored the effects of Grief and trauma on the body, traveling through the different stages of confusion, anger, and fear in a medical journey that was entwined with self-discovery. This story is not defined by structure and instead takes you down a winding path, reflecting the nature of life itself.

[BK Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kimberly Warner’s Unfixed is a wonder. Beyond a mesmerizing story, it’s a master class in lyric memoir. While the language is poetic—lilting, transfixing—the syntax is wild. It whips up a tempest that’s unsettling and destabilizing—the perfect match of form to content for this extraordinary memoir.

Within months of each other, two traumatic events befell Warner. Each in its own way ruptured her identity. Together they cleft her life into a stable, orderly before and an upside down, underwater after in which nothing was certain and there was no solid ground under her feet.

In the spring of 2014, she was riding her bicycle when a driver opened the car door as she was approaching. She tumbled over her handlebars and fractured her pelvis. While she was recovering from her injuries, she learned that the man she believed to be her father—a man whose death in a 1993 car accident she was still grieving—was not her biological father. In the ensuing years, she was beset by mysterious, debilitating symptoms that plunged her into unimaginable chaos. Doctor after doctor and treatment after treatment brought no relief. The more she grasped at control, the more it slipped away from her. She was living her life in the upside down.

Unfixed explores Warner’s braided attempts to regain her physical equilibrium and unravel the story of her origins. It traces her hard won understanding that neither of these tasks was entirely achievable—that some things can’t be repaired or restored and that grace comes in surrendering, in acceptance of imperfection and uncertainty. She learns “to live inside the not-knowing,” with “discomfort becoming my new uncomfortable.”

“Our biology,” she writes, “does everything in its power to fix us. But when it fails, the unfixed adapt. The unfixed tell their stories.” To help stitch her identity back together, Warner leaned in to storytelling and a bit of magical realism, going back in time and writing letters at pivotal points in her life to the biological father she never knew, breathing him into being and forging a relationship in the only way she could.

Unfixed is intelligent, visceral, and startlingly original. It will pull you in like an undertow and immerse you so deeply into Warner’s experience you’ll feel you’ve stepped out of your own mind and body and into hers.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful memoir of a woman whose midlife is upended by two dramatic events - a car accident that leaves her living in a permanent state of vertigo, and a DNA test that reveals her father was someone other than the man who had raised her.

Warner writes with raw lyricism about the impact of both of these events on her life. The accident and its aftermath leave her chasing down dead end rabbit holes in search of a cure that she never finds. Her honest descriptions of the frustrations of this process, along with her ability to turn this reality into a practice teaching and helping others learn to live with their own unfixable physical problems, will be relatable to anyone dealing with chronic illness.

Her quest to understand her true biological origins is in some ways more elusive and in others more satisfying. While both the man who raised her and the man who she never knew died before she reached adulthood, she is able to unravel much of her origins through her mother's open-hearted honesty. That, combined with her biological father's family's willingness to embrace her as one of their own, while sharing a treasure trove of her father's music, poetry and family memories with Warner has allowed her to answer many of her soul's most gnawing questions.

It is, as Warner has said, a story about love - one that is well worth your time.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfixed by Kimberly Warner is a unique memoir that anchors within you long after the final page is explored.
I first discovered Kimberly’s writing on Substack and was immediately drawn to the striking cover of Unfixed. What I didn’t expect was just how deeply her story would resonate.
Her memoir became the anchor of a four-week book club adventure I hosted, and throughout that journey her words created space for reflection, honesty, and meaningful conversation. Unfixed gently invites readers to pause, listen more closely to their own stories, and approach themselves with compassion rather than judgment.
This memoir reads like a love letter to the human experience, one that reminds us we are not meant to “fix” ourselves. Instead, Warner encourages us to soften, to trust the currents of our lives, and to learn how to embrace all that we are becoming.
At its heart, Unfixed feels like a love story, not only about relationships, but about learning to fall in love with our own lives again.
If you’re drawn to memoirs that are honest, reflective, and deeply human, Unfixed is a story that anchors you, quietly inviting you to navigate your own life with more compassion, courage, curiosity and trust.
Gratefully Anchored,
Monica

[Christine Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first discovered Kimberly Warner on Substack, where I devoured the serialized version of Unfixed and couldn’t stop reading. As someone living with an incurable chronic illness and navigating my own DNA surprise, Warner’s journey struck an especially deep chord. The connection felt almost uncanny: she had created a documentary on trigeminal neuralgia—the condition I live with—featuring the husband of a fellow NPE I’d met at a retreat. It felt like the universe conspired to place her story in my path.
Warner’s odyssey is both heartbreaking and profoundly inspiring. She writes with honesty about family secrets, illness, and identity, showing what it means to live in the tension of uncertainty. I especially love how she reclaims the word Unfixed—not as a mark of brokenness, but as a declaration of resilience and even a kind of superpower.
This memoir is a reminder that while life may not offer easy resolutions, it does offer the possibility of courage, transformation, and connection. Warner’s voice is luminous, and I will read anything she writes.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The act of reading Unfixed does something very interesting to time itself. A call and response across decades and worlds weaves through the narrative and lingers in the mind in just the way that a dream sometimes does. The revelations, when they come, aren't show-stopping reveals. They're bits of treasure having layers of sand dusted off them under the watchful eye of the author—the archaeologist. There's an undulation, too, which is practically a character in itself threading through the memoir. At times I'd even find myself swaying as I read. Warner has really managed something very special here (aside from achieving time travel) as she takes her reader on multiple journeys, through which we're somehow, unknowingly made to pay attention with as much presence and sincerity and surrender as she does. It's a lesson in humility, and in seeing the world anew. The only way it could have enchanted me more is if it had washed up on a shore inside a glass bottle.

[Rona Maynard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if you stopped trying to fix every mess in your life? Could you throw yourself on the current of confusion and trust it to carry you home?

Kimberly Warner did just that—and came to shore with Unfixed, a memoir that radiates hope and heart. Any one of the messes that perplexed and paralyzed Warner could have filled its own book. She lost her adored father young, unpacked a family secret that upended life as she knew it, struggled for years with an illness that stumped all the so-called experts. Warner had the vision to weave one compelling story from the whole megillah.

I’ve read a slew of crisis memoirs. I don’t need one more. Unfixed is a friend to all readers who believe they’re one support group, affirmation, gratitude practice, medication or specialist away from the life they want. No self-help-slogans or bullet points, just one storyteller whose love of life owes something to every storm that drives her tale.

[Tiffany]

Kimberly's memoir, Unfixed, is an embrace, a hand holding you through a churning sea. And she herself embodies the kind of grace, resilience, and compassion that comes off every page.

The book is a story about what happens when a life shatters and you’re left with just the pieces lying around you—how you take these fragments and still create a whole life, a whole identity.

“…a midlife DNA test reveals that the man who raised her isn’t her biological father…” and “As she unravels the secrets hidden beneath her family’s story…A mysterious illness takes hold, leaving her adrift in dizziness…”

With tenderness and hope and absolutely beautiful writing, Kimberly traverses unknown waters of chronic illness and identity, and finds that wholeness isn’t about having it all together, or having a perfect resolution, but about embracing and being present.

[Eleanor Anstruther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of discovering Warner on Substack when this spellbinding story was being serialised. To read it again in print only strengthens the impact and shores up the belief that her writing transcends the normal run of words on the page. Her story is one of depth and mystery, divine curiosity and unmoored faith in that which binds us; the impending nature of that which we can't control and the unerring search for each other. She lives by her words, to be unfixed in a world continually trying to insist we must do the opposite while being exactly as she is. This is more than a memoir, the story of a search on the wild seas of her life, it is a prayer and a song and pure light. You will love her.

[Jen Burrows · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfixed is the perfect title for this memoir. Warner writes with quiet bravery about the disorientation of grief and chronic illness, and the slow, often frustrating process of reimagining a life that no longer fits the old shape. There are moments of real insight and vulnerability, and I was swept up in her emotional journey.

That said, I would have liked a little more structure. The narrative drifts at times, and while the emotion always rings true, there could have been more momentum in the storytelling.

Despite its loose structure, the emotional clarity makes Unfixed worth sitting with: a thoughtful companion for anyone navigating uncertainty.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to connect with this memoir. Overall, I felt the writing was thoughtful and, at times, beautiful, and I particularly appreciated the letters woven throughout the narrative.

The book explores grief, trauma, PTSD, illness, family, and identity, among many other themes. It’s clear that the author has been on a long and difficult journey, and there is a sense that she has reached a place of understanding on the other side of it all.

The title feels especially apt, and perhaps we don’t need to be “fixed” in order to heal. While this didn’t fully resonate with me, I can see why it will speak deeply to many readers. I received a copy from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

[Troy Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in serious awe of this book and this author. Kimberly Warner's journey through an obscure health disorder, and the discovery of a paradigm-shifting secret in her parentage, is a testament to the human ability to adapt, yes, but also a searing tale of personal power told with lyrical grace, bravery, and determination. As an adoptee, I found so many parallels to my own similar later in life discoveries, and I so identify with her wish to bring clarity to the narrative of her family even while she is dealing with a disorienting condition that is both baffling and unsettling. This is a wonderful story, beautifully told.

Read the ARC through NetGalley.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if Kimberly Warner wasn't such a talented writer, her story would be wildly entertaining, proving the adage that truth really is stranger than fiction. Her recounting of her childhood is so alive and raw and full of shimmering imagery and deft metaphor. She writes about her parents’ choices and their unique journey with the open, judgment-free perception of a child while infusing them with the wisdom and facile language of a woman who’s lived a full life. Like any masterful memoir, this book is personal and intimate, but it also provides a window into American life in the 1970s when so much was being questioned about marriage, family and sexuality.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kimberly Warner is a young teenager when she loses her father to a horrible car accident, and is consumed by a deep grief. She is further traumatized when her mother reveals that she had a one night stand around the time of Kimberly's conception. Kimberly decides to eventually take a DNA test to clear up the mystery, and finds that indeed Charles Brauer is her biological father- leading her to try to connect with his family.
Adding to her problems, she is plagued with severe vertigo and anxiety, which sends her into a yearslong tailspin..

[Elizabeth Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Kimberly Warner's work documenting the lives of people who live with chronic illness several years ago, at a time when I myself was in the midst of a severe undiagnosed illness. Her work immediately captivated me. She has a profound and empathetic voice, and she's dedicated to elevating the lives of ALL people, regardless of disability. When I discovered her memoir, I immediately gobbled it up. She has an important story to tell about the challenges of living with illness, and the ways one can thrive regardless of a body that's hurting. I cannot recommend Kimberly's book enough!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kimberly Warner’s memoir, Unfixed, is an intense page turner. Her life changing revelations and how she must learn to pick up the unraveled threads and weave a new tapestry , held me captive throughout the entire book. She has this unique ability to take hold of your hand and pull you in right next to her, at times exposing her very soul. She is a brilliant writer, and I will not hesitate to pick up any book she will write in the future.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kimberly Warner tells of her life. Fitting in throughout. Changing for whatever the situation or person she is interacting with. Dealing with the untimely death of her father. Ultimately, she describes a medical condition she has that no one could diagnose for years.

At times I felt she was rambling in her narrative. It also seemed she was trying to write in a style that would be described as prose but missed the mark.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfixed is a marvel of personal revelation, empathy and a real-life story of discovery. What Warner has done is to blend her own unusual illness—a kind of real-life floating—with the discovery of her parentage: Two stories of fracture and healing that don’t depend on resolution. The result is a heartrending memoir that will give you hope and believe not only in storytelling but also in goodness.

[Pamela DeRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Unfixed impossible to put down. Kimberly Warner writes with poetic grace and fearless honesty, weaving an intriguing, unconventional story that lingers long after the last page. It’s a stunning reminder of what it means to stay open and alive, even when life refuses to fit the plan. I love memoirs and this is one of the best ones I have ever read. Beautiful, just beautiful.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luminous, gorgeous writing. Warner's story is riveting; the book is impossible to put down. Her chapters are brief, artful vignettes, expertly woven together with insight, wisdom, and compassion. This book wiill inspire you to look anew at the unfixed parts of yourself, or your life, and find peace and even acceptance.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the serialized version on Substack a while ago, and what stays with me still is the hope and love. Shining love. Through loneliness, trauma, more trauma, more trauma, and finally good-but-world-upending trauma, Kimberly’s story somehow radiates love. I don’t know how she does it.

[Angela Freehill Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this memoir. Kimberly’s writing is beautiful and poignant and she brings such humanity to her story of searching for her identity, being tossed by unpredictable waves of well - just life that matches on inexorably, regardless of circumstance or crisis.

Highly recommend 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wisconsin woman writes about her life, family relationships, and finding out her father was not actually her biological father. Well written, just not sure the information is of interest to me.

[Jocelyn Jane Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book about navigating healthcare, family, and all the things that can remain unfixed. I loved the message of both resilience and acceptance and how they can sit next to each other.