Summary

"Come Back: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey Through Hell and Back" is a memoir co-authored by Claire Fontaine and her daughter, Mia Fontaine, chronicling their harrowing experiences with teenage drug addiction, sexual abuse, and the difficult path to recovery. The book is divided into four parts, detailing the descent into darkness and the arduous climb back to wholeness.

The narrative begins with Claire's recollections of Mia's early childhood, marked by an extraordinary bond and idyllic family life. However, this picture-perfect world shatters when Mia, at fifteen, runs away from home, plunging into a world of drugs and dangerous relationships. Claire's world is upended as she grapples with the reality of her daughter's addiction, navigating the complexities of treatment programs and the juvenile justice system.

As Mia spirals further into addiction, Claire's past resurfaces, revealing her own tumultuous marriage to Mia's father, Nick, who was later revealed to be a sexual abuser. The memoir delves into Claire's struggle to protect Mia from harm while confronting her own demons and past traumas. The journey takes them across continents, from Los Angeles to Europe, as Claire desperately seeks help for Mia in various treatment centers.

The narrative also includes Mia's perspective, offering a raw and unfiltered account of her experiences with drug addiction, self-harm, and the challenges she faced in treatment. Mia's voice provides a stark contrast to Claire's, painting a vivid picture of the internal struggles and external pressures that led to her destructive behavior. The book explores themes of family, addiction, trauma, and the resilience of the human spirit, offering hope and inspiration to those facing similar challenges.