Forces of Nature: A Memoir of Family, Loss, and Finding Home

Winner of the 2024 Best Indie Book AwardGina DeMillo Wagner's brother Alan had a rare genetic disorder that caused him to veer from loving to violent. When Alan died suddenly, Gina was pulled away from the safety of her adult life and thrust back into a family she has been estranged from for nearly ten years. FORCES OF NATURE follows this rewinding of the past, Gina’s caregiving journey and reckoning with complicated grief, plus Alan's Christmas-themed funeral, and an investigation into his cause of death. It's a personal story that asks universal questions: How much of ourselves should we sacrifice to those we love? And, what forces shape our sense of family and home?"A lovely meditation on how families are formed within hostile landscapes. Wagner is a talented stylist..." - The Washington Post“An astonishing story of sibling love… Deft and affecting in every way.” — Nora McInerny, author of Bad Vibes Only and host of “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” podcast“Every once in a while, a memoir comes along to remind us of a profound truth that we recognize as our very own… Gina DeMillo Wagner brings compassion and wisdom to every page." — Claire Bidwell Smith, author of Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief“With wisdom, hope and humor, Forces of Nature offers an honest and rich exploration of complicated grief… Gina reveals the complexities of losing people we love, and loving imperfect people without abandoning ourselves.” — Jessi Hempel, author of The Family Outing“Within these pages, Wagner’s words act as an offering to anyone working through loss, that it is an act of love to let go.” — Rebecca Woolf, author of All of This“Gina beautifully describes the physical and emotional toll that caregiving exacted on her own life, as well as the heartbreak of being the one who everyone looks to when things fall apart… Her story of resilience is profound and is certain to resonate with anyone who’s struggled to keep their head above water while trying to find themselves.” — Matthew Logelin, New York Times bestselling author of Fatherhood