A retired boxer sets out in search of her daughter, Shyloh, an addict living with mental illness on the streets of San Diego. In Fort Unicorn and the Duchess of Knothing, Nelson tries desperately to find – and save – her first-born, delving into the roots of mental illness, addiction, and the meaning of unconditional love. This memoir is an unflinching witness of what it means to be homeless, mentally ill, and addicted in America - and to love someone who is all of those things. Fort Unicorn is, more than anything else, a vivid and tender portrait of people who are too often invisible to society. Fort Unicorn and the Duchess of Knothing is Nelson’s first published book. Several years before Shyloh's death, while in jail, sober and medicated, Shyloh asked her mother to help write a book chronicling her struggles and triumphs. Shyloh died before the book could be written, and Andrea felt compelled to tell her daughter’s story for her. The result offers an important perspective on homelessness, mental illness, and addiction. Nelson’s goal is to open eyes and hearts, so the story might inspire conversation and instigate change. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Andrea Nelson lives and coaches boxing in Madison, Wisconsin. When she’s not in the gym training her boxers, you can find Andrea tending her gardens, chickens, and bees, or running the nearby trails. She shares life with her partner, James.
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"Touchingly written and narrated, Fort Unicorn and the Dutchess of Knothing is a real, raw, intimate and eye-opening look at the infinite love between mother and daughter, pushed beyond the limits by addiction and mental illness. Andrea shares her heartwrenching personal journey with her daughter to help us better understand the realities of addiction and mental illness, the challenges of trying to secure help for someone you love, and the internal struggles, and legal and emotional challenges that come along with those things. Even against all odds, a mother's love and hope endure. So thankful to Andrea for sharing her beautiful Shyloh and her story, and for this enlightening perspective about a population that is often avoided, overlooked or lost."
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Jessica P. (5 out of 5 stars)