later at age 24, in the midst of being a single mom she decided to go to college deciding writing was the way to go. she struggled a lot and even flunked her thesis that ended up being the first 120 pages of “Riding in cars with boys.” which has cutely become: “No longer Riding in Cars with Boys. I upgraded to riding with my dog.”(she makes note) she got her first big hit when publishing a short story to a magazine. she found financial success but still struggled with depression and major trauma that picked her up out of her life. she found the monastery and helped her heal into the person and writer she is today.
~Lily Hanley