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Darah’s completely bilingual (English/Spanish) and holds a B.S. in Cognitive Psychology and M.A. in International Relations. The devoted mom of five and wife of one, when Darah’s not mothering or “wife‐ing,” she’s a suicide prevention activist, inspiring speaker, life COPING coach, group facilitator and author.
Her highly-acclaimed debut memoir, Girl with the Crooked Smile – Stuck in a Moment, is a story that reveals what it really takes to weather life’s storms. It resonates with anyone who has had to muster up the courage and find the faith to press on through hard times.
***When not tethered to the washer or drier, Darah is passionate about reading in her hammock, exercising outdoors and listening to music. Yet above all else, she loves to watch her precocious children negotiate treaties with one another.
Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
Girl with the Crooked Smile and the Pearls of Wisdom That Pulled Her Through it is Darah Zeledon’s story, a memoir of how life can throw you not one curve ball, but several in a row. Darah, pregnant with her fourth child, is diagnosed with a life threatening brain tumor. Her doctor tells her she will either lose her own life or that of her child, and will more than likely experience some sort of paralysis. That is enough for any person to go through in their entire life. But not Darah. No, Darah and her family are also up against an armed robbery, a suicide, financial ruin that forces them to flee their home and a near-fatal accident to boot. Darah tells her story with brutal honesty, with a touch of humor thrown in for good measure. She tells how she and her family pulled through everything that life threw at them and how they survived to tell the tale. Her pearls of wisdom should serve as a message for anyone that life is for living and nothing on earth was going to stop her.
Darah Zeledon’s Girl with the Crooked Smile was a wonderfully inspiring read. It was painful and yet funny. There was none of the “poor me” syndrome about it – it was more like Darah telling us to come with her on her journey and experience everything for ourselves. And, boy, did she manage to draw you in to the extent that you felt as if you were there. No reader will be able to put this book down – you will laugh, you will cry, you will experience the pain and the joy that Darah and her family went through. And, you will be glad you did. I read this book in four hours flat – I could not put it down.
