This raw memoir explores one woman’s remarkably dramatic history and its resulting emotional scars.

“That’s me,” Coffee remarks while discussing yet another incident of violence that has transpired in her life. “I have a PhD in trauma.” The author begins her story in San Antonio, Texas, where she and her first husband, Jon Philip Ray, bought a decrepit residence called Spy House on the Hill. It had a sordid history of Nazi spies and various illicit activities; Coffee worked to restore it, creating a funky space for 16 mm screenings of foreign films with friends. It was a happy life, until an incident with Valium caused Philip to break with reality and brought illegal drugs into the picture. An entrepreneur who had a hand in designing the first personal computer, Philip decided that cocaine manufacturing would be a great scientific challenge and converted their basement into a mad scientist’s dungeon of bubbling mercury and flesh-eating toxic chemicals. Never one to shy away from danger or to question the man she worshiped most of her adult life, Coffee endured the worst aspects and aided Philip however she could. Through his laboratory experiments, Philip also stumbled onto the creation of a smokeless cigarette (the author herself dubbed the process “vaping,” coining that phrase for the very first time), which led to disquieting scrutiny from law enforcement, tobacco companies, and other shadowy figures creeping around the edges of their lives. Inevitable violence and tragedy befell the couple, causing Coffee to depart for Belize in search of solace. It wasn’t long before an ill-fated taxi ride into Guatemala led to her being taken hostage by dangerous militia personnel, putting her once again in harm’s way. After a narrow escape that felt like something ripped from an action movie, the author found herself back home and beginning a toxic pattern all over again, which finally spurred deeper reflection on her past and a resolve to escape dangerous men once and for all.

Describing the astonishing events of her life, Coffee demonstrates her considerable powers as a storyteller and a wordsmith. She eschews the usual structures of a memoir, letting specific details of her history trickle in naturally as she keeps her attention focused on the action at hand. (The powerful moment she and Philip arrive at their house, both standing “spellbound as the city unfolded at [their] feet,” speaks volumes more about their attraction and mutual desires than any standard retelling of a first date.) Her narration recounting her escape from Guatemala and dangerous incidents of domestic abuse delivers suspense and action that rivals any thriller. Coffee uses dark humor and well-placed moments of introspection to keep things relatable—she compares her inability to parse through what sparked a fight with Philip to Abbot and Costello’s famous “Who’s on First?” routine. As a narrative, her book does feel slightly imbalanced, focused much more on Philip than on the author’s own subsequent travels or her eventual healing, but no matter what story she is concentrating on, Coffee consistently delivers unexpected twists and sharp insights.

These true, well-crafted stories provide wild entertainment and deeper messages of self-worth.