AUDIO EXCERPTS
The content of Diane: True Survivor is based on recordings of conversations between Diane and Ward Lassoe. That’s why the book cover says “As told to Ward Lassoe“ instead of “By Ward Lassoe."
Here are some excerpts of those conversation where you can hear Diane’s words in her own voice.
FROM ENGLAND TO AMERICA
In this clip, Diane describes her traumatic journey from England to America. She lived the first nine years of her life in a loving foster home in a small English village. One day, Diane’s biological mother suddenly reappeared in her life.
Her mother eventually forced Diane to move with her to New York City. Diane recounts the pain she felt on that international plane flight as a virtual stranger took her away from the only life she had known.
CULTURE SHOCK IN THE SOUTH BRONX
Diane recounts the culture shock of moving from a small English village to the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City.
When she's enrolled in third grade at a local school, she jokes that she certainly stood out from the rest of the students.
ABUSE AT HOME
Diane‘s mother plays a large role in the book. After the traumatic move to New York City, her mother becomes abusive toward Diane, emotionally, physically and verbally. Usually, the attacks were unprovoked and would stem from minor events.
When Diane returned home from school one day, she didn’t realize that her mother was irate because she mistakenly believed that Diane had skipped school that day. This time, a high-heeled shoe was the weapon.
BECOMING A MOTHER AT AGE 14
Diane became pregnant at age 14. She was living in a group home at the time, so she’s sent to a public hospital to give birth without any family or friends by her side.
Diane endures six hours of difficult labor without any pain medication. She felt that she was being judged by the hospital staff for getting pregnant at such a young age.
Note: she drops an F-bomb in this clip.
“WE’RE AT THE BOTTOM”
After Diane gives birth to her first child, she’s sent to a group home for teenage girls. She’s befriended by Kate, another resident at the facility. Kate helps Diane defend herself from physical attacks in the home.
One evening, Diane tells Kate that they should steal some beer and get drunk because “we’re at the bottom” and “there’s nowhere worse to go.” Later that night, Diane learns that Kate had been hit by a car and taken to a nearby hospital. When she heard the news, she immediately ran out of the group home to the hospital.
As Diane told me this story, she actually started getting goosebumps.
RETURNING TO ENGLAND
When Diane turned 21, her life is feeling unmanageable and overwhelming. She now has three children and little hope of turning her life around. She decides to save money to fly back to England to reunite with Carolyn Hart, the foster mother who raised her as a child.
Diane is hoping to recapture a sense of family and love, but she’s heartbroken when she realizes that Carolyn (the woman she considers her true mother) has stored away all her photos of Diane.
HER BROTHER DAVID
Diane had a complicated relationship with her older brother David. They both suffered significant abuse from their mother and stepfather when they were growing up. David ran away from home before Diane did, and he often lived on the streets as a teenager.
During that time, he got involved with prostitution and drugs. That lifestyle took a toll on his health. When David was 28, his got so sick that he reluctantly reached out to their mother because she worked at a hospital as a nurse's aide.
WILLIAM: THE LOVE OF HER LIFE
William was the true love of Diane's life, but their pathway together was not easy. They met as teenagers, but William was struggling with drug abuse. Diane chose to break ties with him even though they shared a child together.
After ten years, they reunited after William got sober. They had 20 happy years together before William died prematurely from health complications linked to his previous drug abuse.
IDENTITY AND RACE
The topic of race is a complicated one for Diane. When she was growing up in the South Bronx, people often assumed she was Puerto Rican. Her biological father was from Malta, so her complexion is somewhat Mediterranean. But she spent most of her life in an African-American culture, so that racial identity became all she knew.
This created some awkwardness for her when she enrolled in graduate school where a majority of her classmates were white.
RECONNECTING WITH HER MOTHER
Diane's mother Sharon plays a complicated role in Diane's life. After suffering years of abuse and rejection from her mother, Diane distances herself from Sharon emotionally and physically. One day, Diane is surprised to learn that Sharon has reached out to Danielle, Diane's daughter. In fact, Sharon and Danielle have been in contact for months through regular phone calls.
Danielle explains to Diane that Sharon's life has become very difficult and she is hoping to move in with Diane. When Danielle proposes the idea that "grandma" come to live with them, Diane is very opposed at first.
FORGIVING HER MOTHER
Diane's mom lived with her for more than four years before her health started to decline. During the time, Diane had to navigate some challenging emotions as she and her mom built a new life together.
They both had to reconcile the painful memories of the abuse Diane experienced as a child. Ultimately, Diane found a way to move forward and forgive her mom.