A Memoir of Loss, Escape, and Renewal
Memoir
Date Published: June 11, 2025
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
How does a young woman cope when she cannot speak the truth?
When nineteen-year-old Lenore experiences sexual assault while studying
abroad in Italy, her entire world shifts. Survival becomes the focus of her
daily life, physical illness grabs control of her body, and no one can free
her from her pain. A ghost of herself, she takes the path of denial,
believing it’s the only way to protect her loved ones and herself from
her harsh reality.
On her journey toward peace, she assumes the expected roles of mother and
wife, but a traumatic diagnosis puts her at a crossroads. She must start
living the life she wants or roam her days as a victim in the chaos of fear.
Lenore’s escape through travel allows her to reconcile the
imprisonment she’s suffered over the years.
However, when another family tragedy strikes, Lenore understands she must
finally come to terms with the silence she’s kept. But what if one
incident that happened decades ago is too destructive, too deep to be
excavated? Will she be able to find herself in the rubble? Or will she be
lost forever?
Interview
What was your main drive to write this book?
Wow, what a great question. Well, it's funny because I never set out to write Shattered Compass per se. I had walked into my first memoir writing class with lots of personal travel stories. So, as I learned about memoir, I realized that I could create something deep and strong and powerful.
Then, we were assigned to write down the hardest thing you could ever write about, and you’ll do your best writing. So I thought, “Oh, I'm a professional, I can do this.” But while writing, I realized what I really needed to write about—my year in Italy. And that's the moment the book was born. I only learned later that my healing was the main drive; the best way to heal from trauma and PTSD is to write about it.
What do you hope readers will learn by reading this book?
I hope that my story helps any young woman or young man who’s off on their own for the first time at college or wherever and reads my book as a cautionary tale. Even if you're very intelligent, you've got a good head on your shoulders, and you seek adventure, know what to look for. l demonstrate how easy it can be to get caught by a predator.
Also, it's very common that the ramifications have lifelong consequences such as depression, PTSD, and low self-esteem.
Did you do much research when planning this book?
Yes. I had shut down a lot of my history around what had happened to me when I moved alone at 19 to study in Italy.
To write my memoir, I had to delve into my personal history, talk to people who knew me or who were with me there years.
I also have every journal, photograph, and letter written by me and others during my first time in Italy. With all that information, I could remember or recognize important moments from that year. And here's the funny thing about memoir, the more you write, the more you remember.
Did you have any main people who helped you in the process of this book or influenced you to write it?
I think my editor, Leslie Ferguson at Acorn Publishing, was pivotal to my book. Together, we attacked the weak parts; she was a hard taskmaster, but that's what I want in an editor! I felt so supported as she reminded me that I don't know how to conjugate verbs in the English language! She really helped me form Shattered Compass, so it became more me.
Also, my writing community and the writer’s organizations that support us, like libraries and writer associations. I met lots of writers who’ve published their books, and I thought, “I’ve got to hang around these people.”
How long did this book take you to write from initial thought to hitting publish?
I think it took six years altogether. I had a long road to travel because I had never written a memoir. I’m a travel writer, so I was used to writing short nonfiction articles as a journalist. I thought I’d finish much, much sooner. But writing the memoir might take longer since you're dealing with lots of emotional stuff, like memories and people and ensuring that your story is true. It must have a character arc, such as who you were in the beginning and how you changed at the end. So, there's a lot of self-examination and healing. This all makes reading Shattered Compass a worthwhile experience for a reader.
Do you have plans to write more about this topic or new topics?
I don't know yet. This question is like asking a mom right after childbirth when she's having her next baby! Yet, I'm still knocking around ideas for my next book, including putting together a book around travel essays and stories. Or an international spy novel. Or an Italy guide.
About the Author
Award-winning travel writer Lenore Greiner grew up in Marin County where,
at thirteen, she began her writing journey as a lifelong journal
keeper.
At nineteen, her passion for adventure led her to Italy’s heart to
study at the University for Foreigners in Perugia and immerse herself in the
language and culture. There, the seeds of her memoir were sown.
Lenore has garnered eight prestigious Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing
and was honored in Best American Travel Writing 2013, edited by Elizabeth
Gilbert. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Fodor’s
travel guides, and three volumes of Shaking the Tree, an annual anthology
curated by the International Memoir Writers
Association.
A graduate of UC Davis, Lenore married her college sweetheart, and they now
call Southern California home. They share two kids, two kayaks, and too many
rambunctious grandkids.
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