Linda Wisnieski weaves an engaging story of making peace with her mother, her Polish heritage and her diagnosis of scoliosis in Off Kilter. Through concise and descriptive writing, she conveys the deep sadness of her childhood experience living with a verbally-abusive and emotionally-distant father, a long-suffering mother and the physical deformity of scoliosis that conspire to make her feel “off kilter.” Using scoliosis as a metaphor for her life, she shows in graphic detail how all these factors combine to create this sad childhood. She learns to silence herself at every juncture and as a reader I found myself longing for her to be released from this prison of pain. Tales of bullying by peers, stern Catholic nuns and an angry father paint the picture of a little girl trapped in a sad and lonely place and feeling different from the other children. Fortunately, the story does not end there for she walks us through her own healing journey to find peace with her past. Because she has brought me into her sadness, I am relieved and happy that she finally finds peace and contentment in her life. The sadness of a childhood that cannot be changed may remain but the beauty of becoming fully who she is and finding balance in her life is truly rewarding to read. A bravely honest and moving memoir that lingers long after it is read.