Dale Stanten: The Hooker's Daughter

When it comes to overcoming obstacles and rising above bad situations, author Dale Stanten knows what she is talking about. In 1950s Jewish Boston, Dale’s mother established a home-based business as a prostitute to remedy her husband’s inability to provide for his family. At age six, the author was answering the front door for johns. Neighbor children were forbidden to play with her and even the Girl Scouts asked her to leave. What a terrible irony, in a family with so many strange and twisted realities, her gay sister, “coming out” at age 16, was the only thing her parents focused on as contemptible.

The Hooker’s Daughter is a story of survival, driven by a strong will and an ability to extract positive qualities from a dysfunctional life, punctuated by immoral and illegal behaviors. The author was able to reconcile the reality of her environment with what she wished it to be. The resulting tenacity enabled Dale to cope with her terminally ill husband and widowhood at age 37. Her unconditional love for her mother challenges the reader to examine beyond that which is socially acceptable and identify that which is universal. 

I can't wait to talk to Dale about resilience, being ostracized within her community and how she managed to battle back and succeed. I also want to talk about being a caregiver and what a massive undertaking that role really is physically, mentally and emotionally.