At thirty years old, Michelle is the same age as the mother who gave her up into care as a baby. In the quest to find her birth parents, her roots and her own identity, this book traces the journey from care, to adoption, to motherhood, to performer. Using the fragments of her own memory, her poetry and extracts from her adoption files, Michelle rebuilds the picture of 'self' that allows her to transcend adversity and move forward to become the woman she was born to be.

You can hear the beat and song of Michelle Scally-Clarke on the CD that accompanies this book and, on the inside pages, read the story that is the source of that song.

"Every now and again individuals come along who breathe new life into performance poetry. Michelle Scally Clarke is one such individual. Her intelligence, her verbal agility and her passion means that poetry is alive once more." Benjamin Zephaniah

"Scally-Clarke's fierce, spiky poetry runs the gamut of emotions; from sheer anger at her situation to a more positive, hopeful look towards the future. The accompanying 10-track CD showcases these lyrics and provides a smooth-n-silky soundtrack to what is an intimate, highly personal account. An upbeat, inspiring and utterly real affirmation of self."
Eleanor Harte, Books Review

Michelle Scally Clarke is a performance poet based in Leeds. Her turbulent early life was recounted in I Am, a memoir written when she was 30 years old. Her first full collection, She Is was published in 2003. Both books are published by Route and contain CDs of Michelle in performance with musical accompaniment.