Blog Archives
The Turning Point
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Life is a memoir that moves through your childhood, teenage years, and early adulthood, sharing your reflections on resilience, gratitude, and the strange ways life can twist, betray, and yet still surprise with meaning. Why was this an important book for you to write?
For years, I knew I wanted to write a book, but I argued with myself over releasing parts of my story into the world. I also wasn’t sure if my experiences mattered to anyone else. Working with my publisher, Karen Weaver, was the turning point. Her encouragement gave me the courage to finally share A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Life with the world. It became important because I realized that sharing our stories creates connection, and my hope is that someone reading mine will feel less alone and more inspired to see their own journey in a new light.
How did you balance the need to be honest and authentic with the need to protect your privacy and that of others in your memoir?
That was something I considered carefully from the start. Being authentic didn’t mean I had to share every single detail, it meant sharing what was true in a way that served the story. I gave myself permission to set boundaries, to hold back pieces that were too raw or that belonged more to someone else than to me. That balance allowed me to be real while still protecting both my own heart and the privacy of others.
What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir and what was the most rewarding?
The hardest part was revisiting times in my life I hadn’t thought about in years and realizing how much they shaped me. I also hesitated at times, wondering how my stories would be received by people who know me, but may not know the whole story. The most rewarding part has been the freedom that came from finally putting those experiences on the page, and even more than that, hearing from readers who found comfort, laughter, or hope in my words … that has meant more to me than anything.
How has writing your memoir impacted or changed your life?
Writing my memoir gave me a kind of freedom I didn’t expect. For so long, I carried my story inside me, partly as a dream, partly as a weight. Finally putting it into the world allowed me to let go of the fear and step fully into sharing my voice. It has opened doors I never imagined: connecting with readers around the world, seeing my book up on a Times Square billboard, speaking on stages, and bringing it into my Queen Code work. But even more than that, it has changed the way I see myself. I no longer question whether my story matters, I know it does, and I know telling it can help others believe the same about their own.
Author Links: X | Facebook | Website
From uncovering hidden family truths and navigating the ups and downs of relationships, to surviving a house fire and winning the lottery, Laura’s story is an inspiring testament to the power of resilience. With candor and humor, she reflects on the lessons each experience brought her, and how they shaped the person she is today.
This memoir is more than a recounting of life’s surprises; it’s a reminder that, no matter what challenges we face, we can find strength, growth, and even laughter along the way.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Life
Laura Muirhead’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Life is a memoir that moves through childhood, teenage years, early adulthood, and the deep reckoning of midlife with both candor and heart. She tells her story through episodes that range from tender family memories to shocking discoveries about her own parentage. The book blends personal narrative with reflections on resilience, gratitude, and the strange ways life can twist, betray, and yet still surprise with meaning. At its core, it’s about finding strength in truth, even when that truth shatters the story you thought you knew.
What struck me most was the honesty in her voice. She recalls being a child lost in a swirl of divorce, stepparents, and hospital stays, and later a young woman stumbling through identity crises, bad relationships, and financial struggles. The writing feels raw and unfiltered, which made me lean in closer rather than back away. At times, I was frustrated on her behalf, especially in chapters where her stepmother’s cruelty and her mother’s betrayal came through in sharp detail. Other times I felt relief and warmth, like when she described the steadfast love of her grandmother, or the freedom of learning to fly on her own terms. Those shifts kept me hooked. I found myself thinking about my own life, my own plot twists, and how I’ve responded to them.
The heart of the book, for me, was her discovery in her forties that the man she grew up calling “Dad” was not her biological father. The way she described the unraveling of family secrets, the weight of betrayal, and the eventual path toward forgiveness carried a lot of emotional punch. I could feel the anger in her words, the ice cream in the freezer standing in for the weight of all those tangled emotions. And then later, the surprising peace she found in gratitude. I didn’t always agree with her conclusions, but I respected her process. There’s something very human in the way she stumbled, raged, reflected, and then tried again to make sense of it all. Her style of telling is simple but layered, moving between plainspoken anecdotes and larger reflections on truth and resilience. That mix made it feel both intimate and universal.
I felt that this book wasn’t just her story. It was also a nudge to the reader to look at their own. To consider where the cracks are, and whether those cracks let in anger or light. I’d recommend this book to people who enjoy memoirs that don’t sugarcoat the hard stuff, especially readers who are working through family secrets, identity shifts, or personal healing. It would also speak to those who just like a true story told straight, with grit, gratitude, and a good measure of heart.
Pages: 68 | ASIN : B0F3D9WNVT
LITERARY TITAN 