Our Divide

Our Divide: Two Sides of Locked in Syndrome is the story of the other side—the side of the young, pregnant wife of a man who, at age twenty-seven, is struck down by an obstruction in the brain stem, leaving him with a rare neurological disorder called locked-in syndrome. Like Jean-Dominique Bauby of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Cleve is rendered mute and paralyzed by the syndrome—but unlike Bauby, he is unable to move at all, unable to sit up in a wheelchair or communicate by blinking an eye.

Our Divide is a beautifully written, honest account of the experience of watching a loved one suffer. Harrison delivers both a peek into the world of a unique other and an intimate view of one young woman’s grieving process. A heartbreaking story that’s at once a grief, a coming-of-age, and a survival narrative, this genuine, honest portrayal of one woman’s mistakes and courage while learning how to take responsibility and create a life for herself will sweep readers away.

LaDonna Harrison grew up in northern Minnesota in a three-room house without an indoor bathroom. She and her younger sister slept in the living room, while Mom and Dad had the only bedroom. They lived off the land: her father hunted and caught fish; her mother planted a garden and spent the hot, humid month of August canning vegetables and fruit for the winter. Harrison has over the years completed three master’s degrees, as well as the course work for a PhD in Depth Psychology (MA English, MA Rhetoric, MA/ABD Depth Psychology). She has thirty years of experience teaching writing and workshops at the University of Minnesota, UC Santa Barbara, Lake Superior College, Carnegie Mellon, and St. John’s Seminary in California. She is a member of the Palm Springs Writer’s Guild, and her essay“Where’s the Juice” appears in The Magic of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writing Journey, edited by Linda Joy Myers and Brooke Warner. Now retired from university teaching, LaDonna live in Palm Springs, CA, with her husband, Al Miller, the great Dane Abby, and the Maine Coon cat Louie. LaDonna’s daughter, Deanie, and granddaughter, Chloe, live near her.