Author Talk examines motherhood and mental health | Homes and lifestyle

In honor of Mother’s Day and Mental Health Awareness Month, Goleta Library will host Conversation with an Author: Reflections on Motherhood, Mental Health, and Moving Forward When Life Goes Off-Script , from 3 to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 22, with local author Valérie. Cantelle. The library is located at 500 N. Fairview Ave.

In an interview-style show, followed by a Q&A, Cantella will discuss the experiences that led her to write “Off-Script: A Mother’s Journey Through Adoption, Alcoholism a husband and the special needs of the parents”.

“We are thrilled to be able to meet in person again and bring this program to our community,” said Allison Gray, Director of the Goleta Library. “With the widespread impacts of the pandemic on mental health, we are pleased to be able to raise awareness and draw attention to this important topic, including through one of our local authors.

A resident of Goleta, Cantella is a former employee of the city of Goleta and served on the Goleta school board.

Cantella’s Story: Many people fantasize about their future: a loving family, a dream job, and a house with a white picket fence. These dreams often turn into expectations of “happily ever after”.

For Cantella, childhood hopes for a soul mate, children and a fulfilling career turned into a screenplay – written and edited to perfection. But life did not follow its plan.

A lifelong battle with type 1 diabetes; the ongoing trauma of mental health crises with an adopted daughter with special needs; and her husband’s struggle with alcoholism shattered her childhood dreams and nearly crushed her. But sometimes an off-script journey takes you through the unimaginable to where you were meant to be all along – amidst hope and healing.

For more upcoming events at the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries, click here.