Bestselling Memoirist Stephanie Thornton Plymale Available Now For Interview
PORTLAND, Ore., March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For 50 years, Stephanie Thornton Plymale kept her past a fiercely guarded secret. Now, after inspiring thousands with an interview with the Today Show, she is ready to share her extraordinary story with the world.
No one outside of Stephanie's immediate family could have guessed that her childhood was fraught with hardship: neglect, hunger, poverty, homelessness, truancy, foster homes, a harrowing lack of medical care, ongoing sexual abuse, and a perpetually absent mother—a mentally ill woman who was in and out of jails and psych wards.
Plymale's memoir AMERICAN DAUGHTER is available now from HarperCollins' HarperOne.
Stephanie Thornton Plymale with mom, Florence, after their reconciliation.
After it was discovered that her mother had a terminal illness and that Stephanie would become her sole guardian, she began a series of "interviews" with her mother in an attempt to find answers and to get her mother to take personal responsibility for the past. The two embark on a journey of discovery inAmerican Daughter (HarperOne; March 15, 2022; $17.99) as a series of shocking revelations forces Stephanie to see every aspect of her painful childhood and her mother with fresh eyes.
In one of these interviews, her mother reveals that she herself was the victim of a horrific crime in 1953 that plagued her as a child and for the rest of her life. This revelation incites an unlikely redemption and reconciliation between mother and daughter. Stephanie's mother also reveals a stunning and illustrious ancestry that she had kept hidden for decades. Growing up thinking of herself as "white trash", Stephanie knew nothing until then of the aristocratic family heritage from which she came. Thinking that her mother's lifelong claims that they were related to George Washington were nothing more than fabrication, Stephanie is amazed to discover that this information is actually true, and she is descended from Washington's sister, Elizabeth.
All of this knowledge completely transformed Stephanie's life, and rather than hiding her past, she now feels that she can embrace it, learn from it, and share it. To request an interview and learn more about Stephanie's journey, including shocking tales not included in the book, reach out to Stephanie's publicist at Mindbuck Media. Stephanie's deepest desire is to bring her story to light so that others who have been in similar positions will feel they are not alone.
"Plymale's lineage represents a sort of inverse American dream. [...] It's a story of redemption and forgiveness." —NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
About the author: Stephanie Thornton Plymale is the CEO of Heritage School of Interior Design and the founder of the Heritage Home Foundation, a nonprofit serving families transitioning from homelessness. Stephanie has supported hundreds of students in achieving their dream careers. Many alumni have gone on to win prestigious awards and begin wildly successful businesses. Stephanie continues to balance family life with promoting Heritage, the success of its students, staff, and continually growing community and philanthropic efforts. Stephanie also serves on the board for Project Lemonade. She lives with her husband and three children in Portland, Oregon.
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