Description
Where love falters, and self-discovery flows like a restless river.
Realizing River City is Melissa Grunow’s powerful memoir about navigating the precarious landscape of relationships, identity, and independence. From Michigan to New Mexico, from Juárez to Las Vegas, Grunow reflects on the men who shaped, scarred, and ultimately pushed her toward a deeper understanding of herself.
With prose that is lyrical yet unflinchingly direct, Grunow offers readers a meditation on what it means to seek connection in a world that too often confuses love with control. She examines the pull of toxic partners, the difficulty of breaking free, and the fragile beauty of learning to stand alone. More than a story of heartbreak, this memoir is about liberation, resilience, and the courage to reclaim one’s life.
Highlights include:
- A candid exploration of love, loss, and the painful patterns we repeat.
- Vivid portraits of place, from the blistering desert sun to the chaotic streets of Juárez.
- Honest reflections on marriage, divorce, and the challenge of redefining independence.
- A voice that balances raw vulnerability with hard-won strength.
Empowering, brave, and beautifully written, Realizing River City is not just a memoir of survival—it is a story of revolution, of learning to belong first to oneself before belonging anywhere else.
- A Readers’ Favorite Award Winner
- Runner Up for Book of the Year – IAN Awards 2016
- 1st Place Outstanding Non-Fiction Award – IAN Awards 2016
Written by Melissa Gunrow
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