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Leslie Johansen Nack

Goodreads Author

Born

St. Paul, The United States

Website

http://www.lesliejohansennack.com

Twitter

leslie_nack

Genre

Historical Fiction, Memoir, Travel

Influences

Taylor Jenkins Reid, Sue Monk Kidd, Paula McLain, Nancy Horan, Abigail ...more

Member Since

February 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/lesliejohansennack

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Leslie Johansen Nack has been published in Writer’s Digest and Journey Magazine and is the author of three award-winning books: Fourteen, A Daughter’s Memoir of Adventure, Sailing and Survival; its sequel, Nineteen, A Daughter’s Memoir of Reckoning and Recovery; and the historical romance novel The Blue Butterfly.
Her writing explores survival, resilience, family trauma, and the hard-won beauty of healing. Drawing from her own extraordinary journey — from a childhood shaped by instability and abuse to building a healthy, loving life — Leslie writes with honesty, courage, and compassion.
She holds a degree in English Literature from UCLA and has dedicated her work to helping others find hope through storytelling. Leslie is a member of the Nati ...more

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I was also very concerned about your mother. I felt her rejection. I felt she still loved Bjorn and tried in her own way to have all of you back again. Why did your father reject your mother after having a beautiful family with her and he knew he was far from perfect himself? Why didn't he try? Thanks, your story fills me with bewildering empathy.

Leslie Johansen Nack Thank you Teresa for such a compelling and intriguing question. My parents tried to make their marriage work all throughout my childhood. My mother in…moreThank you Teresa for such a compelling and intriguing question. My parents tried to make their marriage work all throughout my childhood. My mother inherited the disease of alcoholism in addition to inheriting manic depression (which wasn't diagnosed until the 1980s) so her behavior was erratic and unpredictable at best. I believe my parents loved each other when they were first married but having children often puts a strain on even the best marriages, and my parent's marriage crumbled under the strain. My mother was in and out of mental hospitals every two years when I was growing up. It wasn't her fault, but I believe she was a victim of the times and the lack of medical diagnoses and treatments at the time (1960s and 1970s). I don't really get into this in Fourteen because it only covers 3 years of my life: from 12-14, with one flashback (chapter 3) as some background. My next book will cover this subject in much more depth.

My father would never have admitted he was not perfect. Isn't that the way it goes with gregarious, outgoing, outspoken, abusive bullies? He blamed everything on our mother. As a child it was hard to decipher what was going on, especially while living an extravagant and unusual life with my father.

I hope that answers your questions. I feel you are sympathetic towards my mother and I appreciate that. I am sympathetic towards her too at times. She lived in a time when the medical community didn't really have positive and sustaining treatments for somebody with a chemical imbalance. The treatments were often barbaric (shock treatments, heavy medications, restraints and sometimes abuse in the facilities charged with taking care of her).

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What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

Leslie Johansen Nack The true story depicted in my first memoir, Fourteen A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing and Survival, is being continued in a second memoir as …moreThe true story depicted in my first memoir, Fourteen A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing and Survival, is being continued in a second memoir as I reveal many mysteries including the mystery of how our sailboat Aegir sank in French Polynesia, and how my father died in the Mexican jungle. (less)

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Leslie Johansen Nack’s books

Average rating: 4.14 · 2,301 ratings · 346 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Blue Butterfly: A Novel of Marion Davies 4.05 avg rating — 1,128 ratings — published 2022 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fourteen: A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival 4.19 avg rating — 1,058 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nineteen: A Daughter's Memoir of Reckoning and Recovery 4.55 avg rating — 115 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Leslie Johansen Nack's Blog

eBook on sale everywhere

Hi, good readers,

The Blue Butterfly eBook is on sale everywhere now.

Links are on my website at www.lesliejohansennack.com.

Thanks! Happy reading. xo Leslie

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Published on October 21, 2023 14:01 • Tags: biographical-historical-fiction, historical-fiction

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Leslie is Currently Reading

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What the Trees Remember: A Novel

by Abigail Cutter

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Bewilderment

by Richard Powers

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The Things We Leave Unfinished

by Rebecca Yarros (Goodreads Author)

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Jun 08, 2026 08:12PM

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Leslie Nack is currently reading What the Trees Remember: A Novel by Abigail Cutter	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jul 23, 2026 09:21PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Bewilderment by Richard Powers. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Bewilderment by Richard Powers <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Leslie Nack is currently reading From B to A: Britain to Albania: The True Story of an Overland Van Life Adventure Through Europe towards the Balkans – With Dogs (Never Mind The Balkans Book 1) by Jacqueline Lambert (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jun 07, 2026 08:20PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Deal by Elle Kennedy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Deal by Elle Kennedy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Leslie Nack is currently reading Cuentos completos Emilia Pardo Bazán (Spanish Edition) by Emilia Pardo Bazán	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Leslie Nack rated a book it was amazing Fourteen: A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival by Leslie Johansen Nack (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 28, 2026 02:43PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fourteen by Leslie Johansen Nack. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fourteen by Leslie Johansen Nack <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Leslie Nack rated a book it was amazing Fourteen: A Daughter's Memoir of Adventure, Sailing, and Survival by Leslie Johansen Nack (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Leslie Nack rated a book it was amazing The Blue Butterfly: A Novel of Marion Davies by Leslie Johansen Nack (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 25, 2026 11:29AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Blue Butterfly by Leslie Johansen Nack. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Blue Butterfly by Leslie Johansen Nack <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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UK Book Club: Non fiction / Self-help - May 2017	24	63	Jul 26, 2017 03:09AM
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Turn of a Page: Deborah & Catsalive "Witching Hour" (COMPLETE!!)	203	42	Feb 27, 2023 08:32PM
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Turn of a Page: Deborah's Potions - Complete	508	77	May 09, 2025 04:46PM
Turn of a Page: Deborah's Rides	142	47	Jul 21, 2026 06:56PM
UK Book Club: Tania's world trip	335	257	Aug 01, 2026 02:32PM

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