Amid the rolling hills of Iowa, Joan Sandergard’s childhood unfolds like a forgotten dream, full of quiet moments beneath the shadow of a historic covered bridge in Madison County. She chases white butterflies through the fields, her life seemingly as gentle as the summer breeze. Gifted and passionate, she finds her voice through the notes of a flute, her future bright with promise when an unrelenting storm of trauma shatters her world, leaving behind an endless series of unfortunate events that follow her into adulthood and very nearly takes her life.
With courage and tenacity, she navigates through a series of tragic situations. In her teens, she marries and has a daughter. When her young husband dies, misfortune strikes – some of it self-imposed as a naive young woman fighting to hold on to hope and the will to live. She does this for her daughter, the one who caused her to never give up, even on the toughest days. Sandergard boldly and candidly details the experiences that took her to the depths of despair. In her thirties, she rises against all odds and turns her suffering into a life of public service. Complex and loaded with messages, this story includes a stunning rally that will resonate with adults of all ages.
Finding her niche, Sandergard works for twenty-five years as a child welfare advocate in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she profoundly touches lives and discovers a sense of purpose. The gut-wrenching toll of those years in the trenches reflects her audacious will to fight for others as she once did for herself. On this journey, she finds love and loses it. She offers and receives forgiveness – and she prevails. Her story is fascinating, and her resilience is inspirational. Joan epitomizes the concept: We are women, and we can do hard things.
My behavior as a teenager was unacceptable. I wonder how different things would have been if someone had simply asked me “Why?” No one ever did.
When someone holds a gun to your head, and you have a child, you will do anything to live.
— Joan Sandergard
