28 OCTOBER 2023 By Melissa Hirschl Teresa Strasser’s new book, Making it Home – Life Lessons from a Season of Little League , is a bittersweet memoir that reads like narrative fiction. Using baseball as a backdrop, Strasser weaves a tale of dysfunctional parenting, family dynamics, grief, acceptance and redemption. Peppered with humor and searing insights, the book centers on the untimely death of Strasser’s brother, Morgan, who died from spinal cancer in 2016. His death caused an aftershock that threatened the tenuous relationship between Strasser and her dad, who she describes as a “cantankerous auto mechanic.” “I love my father, but he was complex and flawed,” she said. “During the seven years my brother suffered, we would have blowout fights. I think it was because we knew there was nothing we could do for him.” Four months after Morgan’s death, Strasser lost her mother. The double punch left her yearning for healing, which she sought in grief groups, books, and the Franciscan Renewal Center. “My father kept his grief close, but not too close,” she said. “We processed our grief differently. He had no framed pictures of Morgan in the house; he kept them in his shed. He wouldn’t let the glare of grief destroy him.” Little did Strasser or her dad know a profound and lasting healing would unfold when Strasser’s son began playing little league at Ingleside four years ago. While she and her dad sat behind the first line, they found themselves in what Strasser describes as “a foxhole of two.” They bonded over the game as they talked, laughed, and rooted for the same team. “We processed our grief and our grudges. The experience was a way home for us,” she said. Making it Home also dives into the author’s turbulent childhood. Her parents divorced when she was young, and it was decided she would live with her mother while her brother would live with her father. Despite her struggles, Strasser became a professional writer and mother of two. The author used her journal observations and feelings to bring the book to life. Making it Home comes on the heels of Strasser’s 20-year career as a media professional. She’s been an Emmy-winning comedy writer, television host, journalist, performer, and author. “My plans are to keep promoting my book through bookstores or social groups,” Strasser said. Making it Home – Life Lessons from a Season of Little League can be found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. teresastrasser.com Arcadia author hits home run with latest book (left) Teresa and Morgan with their parents in 1973. (right) Teresa and her dad found a way to heal their relationship, starting at her son Nate’s little league games. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TERESA STRASSER 3531 N 34TH PLACE, PHOENIX PRESENTED BY JW RICHIE LUXURY REAL ESTATE ADVISOR (480) 843-5101 info@camelbackluxuryliving.com 5 B E D R O O M S • 4 B A T H R O O M S • 3 , 5 5 3 S Q U A R E F E E T . C A M E L B A C K L U X U R Y L I V I N G B R A N D N E W C O N S T R U C T I O N | O F F E R E D A T $ 2 , 1 9 9 , 0 0 0