ESCAPE VELOCITY
HOW ONE 70-YEAR-OLD PUSH-PULLED HER WAY OUT OF HER TOO-MUCH-NOT-ENOUGH FAMILY
70 MICRO-MEMOIRS, 70 WORDS EACH
Coming February 27, 2026 / Stay tuned for pre-order info and more announcements!
ABOUT THE BOOK
In Escape Velocity, a genre-bending constellation of 70 micro-memoirs of 70 words each, Deborah Sosin unravels a story of family entanglement with her loving but overbearing parents. Too much intrusion. Not enough space. What one therapist later dubbed “a mirage of intimacy.” A feisty, perceptive girl, Sosin strains against her family’s gravitational pull in search of a separate self. While navigating the confusing terrain of 1970s feminism, she endures a near-rape, enters a fraught romance with a gay man, and makes a momentous choice about an unexpected pregnancy.
Anna Hall’s striking illustrations add depth and humor to the scenes, which include transformative therapy sessions, an empowering alpine road trip, a clothing-optional retreat, and some miserable midlife dates. Escape Velocity also features Sosin’s poignant, often hilarious, teen diary excerpts and provocative “psychology interludes” that weave in concepts she learned as a therapist. At 70, Sosin faces the loss of both parents and the challenges—and delights—of flying solo. Escape Velocity sheds light on what it means to claim our true selves without severing our close family bonds.
Help launch escape velocity: fundraiser
Self-publishing is an astronomical journey!
UPDATE: WE DID IT! YOU DID IT! In less than two weeks, I reached my goal of $5,000 to support creative and production expenses for my book. Deep gratitude to those of you who contributed. I'm astounded and thrilled.
It's not too late to join the party. See my open FreeFunder page for details and updates.