Firewall: Select fictional passages about dealing with a narcissistic parent (Family Matters)

Firewall: Select fictional passages about dealing with a narcissistic parent (Family Matters)

Firewall is a powerful hybrid of fiction, memoir, and self-help—an unfiltered exploration of family, trauma, and breaking free from toxic relationships. At its core, it is the story of Tim, a 61-year-old man, and his 85-year-old mother, Venita. But it is also the story of anyone who has ever struggled to untangle themselves from a mother’s grip—a grip that claims to be love but feels more like a chokehold. This book does not fit neatly into one genre. It is a battle cry, a reckoning, a mirror for those who have lived in the shadow of parental control and emotional manipulation. It exists in the space between storytelling and survival, where raw honesty meets creative expression, and where writing itself becomes an act of self-preservation. Unlike conventional narratives that glorify mother-child relationships, Firewall does not romanticize the past or offer a sanitized version of healing. It is not about honoring family at all costs or finding a neatly wrapped path to forgiveness. Instead, it is about breaking generational cycles, about walking away without guilt, and about reclaiming the self that was buried beneath years of obligation and gaslighting. Tim’s journey is one of hard-won realization. Raised by a mother who ruled through contradiction and conditional love, he spent his life seeking her approval—an approval that was always just out of reach. Venita’s power lay in her ever-shifting expectations, in her ability to make Tim question himself at every turn. She didn’t want obedience; she wanted a son who was forever chasing her validation. This book is for those who grew up doubting their own reality, who were told they were “too sensitive” for recognizing manipulation for what it was. It is for those who have walked on eggshells for so long that they no longer remember what solid ground feels like. It is for anyone who has ever whispered to themselves, Is it me? Or is it them? Firewall does not promise an easy roadmap to healing. There are no simple steps or bullet-pointed lists. Instead, it offers something more valuable—recognition, permission, and proof that freedom is possible. It is an invitation to grieve, not only for the mother one had but for the mother one deserved. It is a declaration that survival is not just about endurance, but about the courage to let go. This book is not just about Venita. It is about you. If you see yourself in Tim’s story, know that you are not alone. And most importantly, know that you are allowed to choose yourself.