Raised in poverty and dysfunction, she was sustained by her inner strength and by a near-death experience at age seven, a mysterious gift of reassurance and hope. Alcoholics Anonymous rescued the family, but Lina faced years of healing even as she pursued the bright future she knew she would eventually create.

In her twenties, a single mother with little education, she mystified her friends by refusing to play it safe, never staying in one job or one relationship. Instead, she amassed a wealth of experience and met a cast of colorful characters who imparted lessons about whom to trust, what to risk, and how to navigate in a hazardous world. In her thirties, bedridden from injuries in an accident caused by a drunk driver, she saw by chance the business opportunity she had been waiting for and literally got up from bed to seize it. From there, she raced to entrepreneurship, expansion, and success.

The two stories of Lina Kennedy, professional and personal, come together in this book and in Lina herself, a woman whose insight, courage, and indomitable spirit are an example for anyone who dreams of a better life.