Humor and Heartbreak Lead to Self-Acceptance in Laurie Boyle Compton's Free Verse Memoir THE DENIM DIARIES

MINNEAPOLIS, MN— This November Zest Books™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group™, releases The Denim Diaries: A Memoir. This poetic memoir traces Laurie Boyle Compton’s coming of age in rural Pennsylvania and New York City during the 1970s and 1980s. Combating family issues, relationship troubles, and body image insecurities, Laurie finds ways to love and accept herself.

Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s was anything but idyllic. In moving verse accompanied by diary-esque sketches, Crompton takes you along as she navigates relationships, plays the happy family at church despite discord at home, manages her mother’s ambitions and her father’s alcoholism, struggles with her self-image, and desperately tries to fit in at school by squeezing into too-tight designer denim. Crompton journeys through disordered eating and sexual assault to a place of acceptance and recovery.

Vivid and powerful poems underscore the highs and lows of a life filled with hardship and joy alike. At times both harrowing and humorous, The Denim Diaries brings new perspective to the importance of self-love and finding hope in the darkest of times.

Praise for The Denim Diaries:

“Crompton’s free verse gives readers a powerful view of her inner self-loathing until she learns to accept herself as she is. At times, this is a tough read, but Crompton’s candidly honest story will resonate with anyone struggling with self-image issues and difficult family relationships.” — starred, Booklist

“This memoir, enhanced by the author’s sketches, is both original and moving—but not for the faint of heart. In often graphic detail, beautiful turns of phrase quickly become hard-cornered truths, providing a poetic roadmap from self-doubt to self-hate and, finally, self-acceptance. Relatable, visceral, and memorable.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews

About the Author
Laurie Boyle Crompton is the author of many young adult novels. She earned BA in English and Journalism from St. John’s University and has written for national magazines like Glamour and Allure. After having lived in Orlando and England, she now lives in New York with her husband and two children.

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The Denim Diaries: A Memoir
November 14, 2023
$38.65 Hardcover
$18.99 Paperback
eBook also available
Ages 13 – 18, Grades 8 -12
HC: 978-1-7284-7750-3
PB: 979-8-7656-0488-5
352 Pages ● 6 × 9

Media contacts:
Lindsay Matvick
Publicity Director
800-328-4929, x385
lmatvick@lernerbooks.com