The unflinching true account of a teenage girl's descent into society's underbelly -- and her mother's desperate and ultimately successful attempts to bring her back.
How does an honor student at one of Los Angeles's finest prep schools -- a bright, beautiful girl from a loving home -- trade school uniforms and afternoons at the beach for shooting up in the back of a van in rural Indiana? How does her devoted mother emerge from the shock of finding that her daughter has not only disappeared but had been living a secret life for more than a year?
Mother and daughter tell their parallel stories in mesmerizing first-person accounts. Claire Fontaine's story is a parent's worst nightmare, a cautionary tale chronicling her daughter Mia's drug-fueled manipulation of everyone around her as she sought refuge in the seedy underworld of criminals and heroin addicts, the painful childhood secrets that led up to it, and the healing that followed. Her search for Mia was brutal for both mother and daughter, a dizzying series of dead ends, incredible coincidences and, at times, miracles. Ultimately, Mia was forced into harsh-but-loving boot camp schools on two continents while Claire entered a painful but life-changing program of her own. Mia's story includes the jarring culture shock of the extreme and controversial behavior modification school she was in for nearly two years, which helped her overcome depression and self-hatred to emerge a powerful young woman with self-esteem and courage. 
An unforgettable story of love and transformation, Come Back is a heart-wrenching and humorous portrayal of the primal bond between mother and daughter that will resonate with women everywhere.

comeback - a mother and daughter's journey through hell and back

Biographies & Memoirs

Fontaine, Claire

Fontaine, Mia

Community & Culture

Harper

How does an honor student at one of Los Angeles's finest prep schools–a nice girl from a happy, loving home–trade school uniforms and afternoons at the mall for speedballs in the back of a truck in rural Indiana? How does her devoted mother emerge from the shock of finding that her daughter has not only disappeared but had been living a secret life for more than a year? 
 Mother and daughter tell their parallel stories in mesmerizing first–person accounts. Claire Fontaine's story is a parent's worst nightmare, a cautionary tale chronicling her daughter Mia's drug–fueled manipulation of everyone around her as she sought refuge in the seedy underworld of felons and heroin addicts, the painful childhood secrets that led up to it, and the healing that followed. Her search for Mia was brutal for both mother and daughter, a dizzying series of dead ends, incredible coincidences and, at times, miracles. Ultimately, Mia was forced into harsh–but–loving boot camp schools on two continents while Claire entered a painful but life–changing program of her own. Mia's story includes the jarring culture shock of the extreme and controversial behavior modification school she was in for nearly two years, which helped her overcome depression and self–hatred to emerge a powerful young woman with self–esteem and courage. 
 Come Back is an unforgettable story of love and transformation that will resonate with mothers and daughters everywhere.

Come Back

HarpPeren

How does an honor student at one of the finest prep schols in Los Angeles - a bright, Beautiful girl from a loving home - end up shooting up in the back of a vaan in rural Indiana? How does her devoted mother overcome the shock of finding out that her daughter has not only disaperaed but had been living a secret life for more than a year? Mother and daughter each tell their story in compelling, provocative first person accounts. Claire chronicles her stuggles with her daughter Mia's manipipulative , drug-fueled behavior, her relentless search for her across three states, and ultimate choice to force her into a boot camp school in eastern europe. Mia details her refuge in the abyss of crimainal and herion addicts and the painful childhood secrets that led up to it. Both describe their their remarkable, if conteroversial, process of healing with unsparing honesty and humor . An unforgettable story of love and transformation, Come Back is a heart- wrenching portrayal of the bond between mother and daughter that will responate with reader everywhere.

Come Back: a Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back

Parenting & Relationships

Parenting

Regan Books

In powerful parallel stories, mother and daughter give mesmerizing first-person accounts of the nightmare that shattered their family and the amazing journey they took to find their way back to each other. Claire Fontaine's relentless cross-country search for her missing child and ultimate decision to force her into treatment in Eastern Europe is a gripping tale of dead ends, painful revelations, and, at times, miracles. Mia Fontaine describes her refuge in the seedy underworld of felons and addicts as well as the jarring shock of the extreme, if loving, school that enabled her to overcome depression and self-loathing. Both women detail their remarkable process of self-examination and healing with humor and unsparing honesty. Come Back is an unforgettable true story of love and transformation that will resonate with mothers and daughters everywhere.

Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back (P.S.)

William Morrow Paperbacks

Have Mother, Will Travel: A Mother and Daughter Discover Themselves, Each Other, and the World

Glamour magazine called Come Back, the first nonfiction collaboration by Claire and Mia Fontaine, the “best mother-daughter memoir,” while the New York Times Book Review praised it as, “a testament to the power of the love.”
The Fontaines are back with Have Mother, Will Travel, a beautiful, thoughtful, insightful, inspiring book that brilliantly captures the changing relationship between a mother and her adult daughter. Seen within the context of an unforgettable round-the-world adventure, the emotional milestones reached and the new understandings and appreciations achieved will warm the heart and nourish the soul—an extraordinary journey that should not be missed by armchair travelers and by mothers and daughters everywhere.

William Morrow

Come Back 10th Anniversary Target Book Club Edition

Memoirs

William Morrow & Co.

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Books by Fontaine, Mia