Publisher's Synopsis
A heart-wrenching tale of becoming and undoing, Stacy TenHouten's The House with Two
Stories embarks on a journey of rediscovery and transformation. When a girl's mother leaves for
the night, she encloses her young daughter in her bedroom with only a TV dinner and her books
for company. Come morning, the mother hasn't returned, and the girl's hope dwindles as she
remains alone for another night. What transpires for the girl in the following days is a poignant
fable that explores the limits and the strength of the human psyche.
Formatted as a children's story, The House with Two Stories embodies what it means to
transform pain through art. Simultaneously a story of a child's abandonment and an adult's
return to girlhood trauma, The House with Two Stories demonstrates in visceral terms the power
of self-exploration through the body, through language, and through the body's language. A
homecoming and a departure at once, TenHouten's story gives strength to the painful and
encourages others to do the same.
