Lunchladies Bought My Prom Dress is a searingly honest, at times heartbreakingly comedic, memoir about growing up poor in America.

Heather Ream is a gifted child at the center of a family bound by love but trapped in a cycle of dysfunction. Living in the projects in Knoxville, Tennessee, Heather’s mother approaches life with a vivacious ferocity that’s both awe-inspiring, and terrifying. Heather’s father is the gentle heart of the family, a former Christian-pastor-turned-artist who whispers awake the creative soul of his young daughter.

When a stunning tragedy splits the family apart, Heather is left to face her teenage years broke, fat, and trying to imagine a place for herself in a world that seems designed to diminish her at every turn. But in the rubble of loss she finds the scrappy pride of a survivor, and in the midst of scarcity a sisterhood built upon generosity and hope.