String of Paper Suns: An Experimental Memoir

A String of Paper Suns is a raw, intimate, powerful, and humanizing story by a single teen mother and former member of a fundamentalist religious sect.

Growing up as the oldest of thirteen children, Bridget Siljander is a sister-mom to her younger siblings. While she adheres to the strict and reclusive rules of the family's religion, which restricts makeup, secular music, and friendships outside the church, she longs for an identity beyond its confines. By breaking free, she gains a greater understanding of the wider world: both its beauty and its cruelty. When she gives birth as a teenager to a daughter with disabilities, joy is juxtaposed with struggle as she navigates financial insecurity and social systems that dishonor difference. Her evolution as a mother and work as a caregiver to others with disabilities paves the way to her ultimate calling as a human rights activist. Along the way, her life intersects with memorable characters who impart strength and hope through human connection.

Siljander's vivid storytelling and persevering human spirit create a story of empowerment, love, humor, and redemption and pay homage to our communities who love us unconditionally and help us transcend our circumstances.