A Journey of Self-Acceptance
By Danielle Lieneman
This week, we wanted to feature a book that’s slightly different, focusing on the life of an author and the trials and tribulations they’ve faced. In honor of Pride, which is typically held in June to commemorate the Stonewall riot that took place in June 1969, we chose to feature “Sunset: Sunrise: A Journey of Self-Acceptance.”
Life can be hard. It’s demanding and challenging, even at the best of times, but when you’re battling feelings of bi-polar depression and suppressing transsexual feelings, it can be even more of a difficult balancing act. No one understands this more than Sarah Hartley.
Born Peter Bamford, Sarah had a picturesque childhood in Worcestershire County, England surrounded her rather large family. The rambunctious days of a country childhood turned into dreary days and nights at an all-male boarding school, a place where Sarah never felt truly comfortable. From here, her life followed an ordinary path: a happy marriage, a wonderful family, a successful career.
But through it all, Sarah knew that Peter wasn’t who she was meant to be; Peter was just a mask she’d wear to fit in. Her journey wasn’t one of self-discovery, but of self-acceptance. “Sunset: Sunrise” takes the reader on this same journey, giving a unique peak inside the mind of a transsexual person struggling to come to terms with her true self for six decades before finally making the decision to live as she was meant to, as a woman.
Sarah recounts her incredibly moving life story in “Sunset: Sunrise: A Journey of Self-Acceptance.” Available on Amazon in both print and digital formats, the Kindle version is marked down from $19.95 to just 99¢ until July 6th –– so get your copy today!
Sarah Hartley is retired and lives in Palm Coast, FL. She still follows her passion and keeps her sailing boat Windsong in Massachusetts, close to her daughter, Deb, and best friend, Suzan, both of whom also enjoy the boating scene. Sarah loves to travel and has made numerous trips, mainly overseas. Her other loves include writing currently a book on her genealogy and gardening, where she prefers to enjoy the fruits of her labor rather than the labor itself! Sarah can be reached at mssarahhartley@aim.com.