Leaving the House Unlocked

"...occasionally it hits me that I'm carrying the names of two people who seem to have experienced more pain than joy during their brief time above ground, and a less optimistic person than I might consider themselves cursed to carry such a couple's names, but I've always seen it as an honor, a chance for redemption, an inspiration to cultivate as much joy and adventure and kindness as possible, no matter how much time I'm given."

Leaving the House Unlocked turns trauma into a chance for healing. It is a reminder to reflect, accept, never forget, but also not let what happened then define you as a person now. Elizabeth "Liz" Enochs invites readers in to tour through some of her most intimate memories. She revisits moments with ex-lovers, close and distant family members, and old friends. Her compelling honesty allows us to explore family and personal identity as well as acknowledge parts of the past-whether good or bad-that helped shape her as an individual.

Through personal essays written entirely out of single-sentence prose, she questions when nostalgia becomes grief and remembers when life was cruel and when it was forgiving. Enochs also uses this collection to raise awareness on issues concerning animal welfare, environmentalism, and sexual violence.