Books

From afar, Julianna Burmesch's formative years looked perfect: A father with a good, steady job. A stay-at-home mother who loved to read. A spacious yard filled with toys and games for her and her two siblings. Yet for those who looked just a little closer, it was the house on the block that other parents didn’t want their kids to visit.

 

On June 23, 2026, Burmesch releases her memoir, Life with Less of Me, a candid and deeply reflective account of growing up in a home where the front door hid dysfunction, abuse, alcoholism, neglect and fear.

Inside that seemingly ordinary house, her father’s blind selfishness, Jekyll-and-Hyde moods, and fists that left bruises on his wife dominated the home, inflicting daily trauma on the family. Her mother tried her best, but over time, the weight of her husband’s abuse led to lethargy and parental neglect, burdening her children with even more hardship as her autonomy was slowly whittled away.

In Life with Less of Me, Burmesch explores a truth many survivors understand: Abuse doesn’t just affect us in the moment. We carry trauma throughout our lives, sometimes even passing it to the next generation. With unflinching honesty, she reflects on how her upbringing shaped her identity, influenced the trajectory of her life and even affected her health as an adult.

Determined not to pass her scars to her own children, Burmesch fought to educate herself, heal from her past and embrace resilience. Through self-examination, professional growth and an unwavering commitment to breaking generational cycles, she became the successful, fulfilled woman she is today.

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Life with Less of Me offers hope to readers navigating the lingering effects of childhood trauma and serves as a reminder that while we may begin life with less than we deserve, healing and wholeness are still within reach.