CLARA WHITE is a pen name that came from the nickname that I was given at my elementary school-The White Crow. My classmates gave me this moniker for the ways I stood out: my broken beak (nose), my height (taller than most of the other kids), and my frequent challenges to our teachers. I hated it then, but I love it now, because in some cultures a white crow is considered a symbol of transformation or spiritual awakening. One day, I will use my books' royalties to launch the reconstruction of a hospital in my husband's native city of Kharkiv, Ukraine. There, we will establish a program to help Ukrainians who live with PTSD after the Russian invasion. My own journey from a victim of childhood and youth trauma to survivor, then ultimately to THRIVER, took two decades of struggle, pain, and therapy. I live vibrantly in San Francisco with my husband, daughter, and dog.
