PRAISE
Reviews of My Mother Is a Dragonfly
“A visceral and intimate memoir about the cost of silence, the weight of perfection, and the courage it takes to come home to oneself.”—Caitlin Riley, Director, Psychedelic Society of Texas
"This book offers a clear reminder that we do not heal by leaving parts of ourselves behind—we heal by bringing them forward with care, allowing for a greater truth and understanding. Rooker’s writing becomes an act of love—toward the past and the future alike."
—Sharon Salzberg, New York Times bestselling author
"Amy Scott Rooker’s exquisitely crafted memoir, My Mother Is a Dragonfly, is both riveting and revelatory. It is a book that had to be written—bold, beautiful, and brilliant. Amy is a profoundly gifted writer with a story of such fierce devotion to the Love that we are that it becomes a catalyst for awakening in others. You will not be able to put this book down until you’ve traveled to its end with her. There, in the silence after the words, you will rest in your own knowing of what is real and true."
—Suzanne Eder, award-winning author, teacher, healer, and guide
"Deeply unsettling and profoundly redemptive… a journey that is as raw as it is luminous. This is not an easy book, but it is a brave one. And in its bravery, it offers something tender: the reminder that healing may not be about fixing what was broken, but about remembering who we were before the breaking began."
—Seattle Book Review
5/5 Stars
"In My Mother Is a Dragonfly, Amy Scott Rooker writes about the cost of silence, the weight of perfection, and the courage it takes to come home to oneself. Her prose is visceral and intimate—at times a gut punch—as she guides readers through fracture toward integration, truth, and self-remembrance. With a remarkable gift for words, Rooker turns devastation into something elemental and alive, transmuting pain into power. This book is about remembering who we were before we learned to disappear, and how love—real love—begins with truth. A transformative and deeply human work that reminds us our wounds are not detours from wholeness but portals back to it."
—Caitlin Riley, Director, Psychedelic Society of Texas
"My Mother Is a Dragonfly is a courageous and deeply honest memoir about what it means to heal at the root. With rare vulnerability, Amy Scott Rooker invites us into her inner world and shows how childhood trauma doesn’t simply hurt—it lives in the body, shaping relationships, behaviors, and self-perception long after the original wounds are forgotten.
"Through therapy, self-inquiry, and a profound awakening, Rooker comes to understand her suffering not as evidence of something broken within her, but as intelligent, human responses to overwhelming and toxic early environments. This shift—from shame to compassion, from self-blame to forgiveness—marks a true turning point in healing, self-love, and acceptance.
"What unfolds is a powerful story of integration—mind and body reunited, truth spoken—and a woman coming to recognize her gifts and beauty. This book is a testament to the possibility of deep healing, forgiveness, and freedom—and a reminder that when we are met with compassion rather than judgment, we can finally come home to ourselves with peace in both mind and heart."
—Tamara Hostetler, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
"My Mother Is a Dragonfly is a brave journey through grief, trauma, and remembrance that reveals how pain can become a sacred teacher. With honesty and depth, Amy Scott Rooker invites us into her intimate path from fragmentation to wholeness—discovering that healing is not about fixing the past but about reclaiming the truth of who we are and who we have always been. This is a story of ancestral threads, mystical signs, and the graceful courage it takes to choose evolution over stagnation and love over pain."
—Mary Olivar, Executive Director, The Center for Shamanic Education and Exchange
"My Mother Is a Dragonfly is an unusually clear-eyed memoir about grief, identity, and what happens when the structures you’ve been living inside no longer fit. Amy Scott Rooker shares her lived experience with remarkable honesty and restraint. The result is a book that feels grounded, emotionally intelligent, and quietly transformative. It’s a thoughtful exploration of consciousness, what it means to let go of inherited patterns, and how we can listen more carefully for what’s actually true."
—Scott Britton, entrepreneur, investor, community builder, and bestselling author of Conscious Accomplishment
"A courageous and deeply moving memoir that bears witness to the lifelong impact of trauma—and the strength it takes to keep going. Amy Scott Rooker writes with rare honesty and heart, inviting readers to walk with her from childhood pain toward self-trust, peace, and wholeness. Her story lifts the voices of survivors and reminds us that hope is not naive—it is an act of bravery. This is the kind of truth-telling our culture needs to protect children, reduce shame, and ensure these stories are no longer carried in silence."
—Shonnery Pettit, former President of the Board of Directors, Center for Child Protection
"A hard-hitting memoir of family, forgiveness, trauma, and recovery… highly recommended.”
—Midwest Book Review