Katherine Preston Libri

A fresh, engaging account of a young woman's journey to find a cure for her lifelong struggle with stuttering and ultimately embrace her unique voice. Imagine being a beautiful, stylish, and intelligent young woman with much to say, yet every time you speak, a stutter emerges. At seven, Katherine Preston discovered she was a stutterer, leading her to deny her speech issues and fear communication. A humiliating experience prompted her to take action. In this memoir, she shares her year-long journey across the U.S. interviewing over 100 stutterers, speech therapists, and researchers. What starts as a quest for a cure evolves into a narrative that challenges misconceptions surrounding stuttering and transforms her understanding of normality. The story offers a fresh perspective on society's obsession with physical perfection and explores the significance of our voices and vulnerabilities. It highlights an ancient condition affecting approximately 4 million in the U.S. and 60 million worldwide. Katherine's interviews span a diverse range of individuals—writers, actresses, musicians, and more—each working to overcome their speech challenges. Combining memoir and investigative journalism, this compelling and heartwarming narrative encourages understanding and self-acceptance.