Love Is a Burning Thing: A Memoir by Nina St. Pierre

From Penguin - Dutton For fans of The Collected Schizophrenias and Ordinary Girls: A riveting, passionately written memoir that investigates the complicated intersections of spirituality, poverty, and mental health.         Ten years before Nina was born, her mother, Anita, lit herself on fire in a dual suicide attempt. During her recovery in the burn-unit, a nurse initiated her into Transcendental Meditation. From that day on, Anita’s pain became intertwined with the pursuit of enlightenment. She chased ascension up and down the state of California trying on spiritual practices with Nina—and Nina's brother, Chris—as her jaded sidekicks. It would be a long time before Nina realized that they weren't simply pursuing the divine but running from a much larger force.        Years later, once Nina was in college, her mother burned down their Northern California home and was imprisoned for felony arson. Forced to confront her mother's burning, she discovered her own capacity for self-destru