We are not defined by our origin stories. We choose who we become.
Daria Burke’s childhood growing up under the shadow of an absent father and a mother debilitated by drug addiction was marked by neglect and poverty. Despite these fractured beginnings, she forges a triumphant path out of Detroit and into fashion’s C-Suite. After ten years of therapy, she believes her healing journey is complete.
When she discovers a photograph of the car accident that she believes altered the course of her early life, Burke is forced to confront the parts of her childhood she had avoided. This discovery sparks a four-year immersion into neuroplasticity, epigenetics, the impact of adverse childhood experiences on early brain development, and ultimately, why some of us remain stuck in past trauma while others experience post-traumatic growth. She dives headfirst into an exploration of her trauma, grappling with the enduring grip of the past on the present and the mind’s influence over the body.
More than a story of personal triumph, Of My Own Making is a soulful and scientific exploration of the power to shape one’s destiny. In facing the stark reality of her past, Burke reminds us that every moment demands a choice, and that we owe it to ourselves to reparent our inner child and reclaim the lives we deserve.
Burke’s lyrical account of a life lived with courage and intention offers an empathetic and hard-won perspective on the nature versus nurture debate and the power of acceptance. Part memoir, part methodology, it is a fearless rallying cry inspiring us to excavate and examine the stories that define our lives. Ultimately, the narratives that we craft with our own hands are the only ones that matter.
BIO
Daria Burke is an award-winning business leader, board director, investor, speaker, and advisor. Her creativity and impact have been recognized by Women’s Wear Daily, AdWeek, Forbes, Vogue, Teen Vogue, the CFDA, Town & Country, the Cut, and NYLON Magazine. She has written for Fast Company, The Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, and has appeared on The Melissa Harris-Perry Show on MSNBC, Philly Speaks, and numerous podcasts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan and a Master of Business Administration from the New York University Stern School of Business. She lives in Los Angeles and East Hampton.
REVIEWS
"Readers of memoirs like Educated and The Glass Castle will enjoy Burke’s inspiring story of overcoming early abuse and neglect to build the life she knew was waiting for her." -- Booklist
"Daria Burke is as adept at creating prose that floats and dips as she is diving unflinchingly into the root of harm, addiction and hurt. Of My Own Making is as profound a book about the treacherous experience of befriending ourselves that I've read this decade." -- Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir
"Daria Burke writes with an unflinching eye, poetic clarity, and her whole heart. In Of My Own Making, Burke dives headfirst into the blood and bone of childhood trauma and the slow, intentional work it takes to reclaim a life beyond it. With gripping honesty and profound bravery, Burke reveals a soul that has wrestled with grief, addiction, and the hard-fought path to self-compassion. This book isn’t about simply loving yourself—that would be too small. It’s about diving headfirst into a relationship with yourself—a profoundly human reminder of what it means not just to survive but to reclaim and hold every fractured, jagged piece of your journey. Of My Own Making will live in your bones and resonate with anyone seeking to write a new story." -- Bassey Ikpi, New York Times bestselling author of I'm Telling the Truth, but I'm Lying
[H] Legacy Lit / April 22, 2025
1.0" H x 8.49" L x 5.89" W (0.85 lbs) 288 pages