WHOLLY UNRAVELED
Sometimes all that it takes to start over is the courage to say you will.
In Kathleen’s home, red jeans were a sin. Parties were punishable with violence. Fear was part of the daily norm. Growing up in a Catholic cult, under the unforgiving eye of her abusive father, Kathleen knew from an early age that if she were to survive, she’d have to do it on her own.
But when the time came to escape, she found herself in a damaging spiral of self-destruction. At rock bottom, and with nowhere to go, Kathleen stepped off a bus in the last place she ever thought she’d find peace: a remote community in rural Canada. Spending a year in almost complete silence, Kathleen feared this experience would prove to be just another step in her unraveling. Instead, with her demons quieted, she emerged with a fresh understanding of self, an empowering new purpose, and a sense of worthiness that she would never let be challenged again.
Wholly Unraveled is Keele Burgin’s gripping and inspiring journey of self-discovery and of finally finding her voice against nearly insurmountable odds.
"This is my story of growing up in and escaping a cult, only to find myself chasing adrenaline and drugs in hopes of finding a shred of self-worth before finally landing in a remote community where I would live in silence, quiet the demons of my past, and find the courage to love myself."
Growing up, Kathleen never knew what would set her father off. It could be something as simple as wearing red jeans, or even a storm. And his punishments were equally unpredictable: forcing her on a horse that was not yet saddle broken; pointing a gun at her on a deserted island. But what she did know was that she would always look him in the eye when he hurt her, in an effort to keep her soul intact. In a raw and empowering memoir, WHOLLY UNRAVELED: A Memoir, Keele Burgin (Kathleen) tells a story that is at times inspiring, at times chilling, but always an intimate and vulnerable journey that all women have in common, a journey to womanhood.
As a child she didn’t realized that she was born into a cult. At The Disciples of Light, where her father was a leader, many prayed in tongues, arranged marriages were the norm, and women were denied the right to work outside the home, dress as they pleased, or wear make- up. The only women in her corner were Shirley, the housekeeper, and Helen Smith, her best friend’s mom and the only woman at church who would dare disobey the rules. Going to college was the only way that Kathleen could escape her family. But without her father to inflict pain and with no idea how to live in the real world, she filled the void with drama, drug use, an eating disorder, and a lost chance at love.
Then ironically, the religion that had broken her, ended up saving her. In a remote community, Kathleen disappeared from the modern world – no TV, radio, or phone, outhouses in negative 20 degree temperatures, root cellars for refrigeration, coffee only once a week, with nothing but a milk crate and 8 hangers for her belongings – forced to be alone with her thoughts. At first, her life didn’t make sense, not in the community, not before it, until the female leader stands up in anger and screams “I HATE GOD!” These three words begin to awaken Kathleen’s need to heal and her unique ability to rise above the shame, to create a powerful and authentic life. She is then left with one question: “Who is Kathleen?” She is in a secluded cabin, alone with two cigarettes, stale brown bread, and a stolen cookie to get her through a winter storm. She is beyond freezing, wanting to burn the only book within a five-mile radius, the Bible. Is it to spite her father and the Catholic Church? No. It is because, beyond anything else, it should provide warmth. In this unexpected place she finally accepts that her past is not her fault, finds her voice, and she falls in love with a little girl who always looked her fear straight in the eye. Keele Burgin is proof that by not allowing suffering to define you, by looking deep inside yourself, by talking about the things people don’t want you to talk about, you can heal and find love. In a world where women are often blamed and ignored for being damaged and told to keep quiet, it is time to let their voices be heard loud and clear. Tell your story. Your voice matters. And it is that hope, that confidence, that WHOLLY UNRAVELED inspires.
Keele Burgin is an entrepreneur, activist, mother of three, author, and filmmaker. Her story of survival and self-discovery has inspired a life dedicated to impacting tens of thousands of women across the globe. She has served in leadership roles on the boards of multiple non-profit organizations that empower women. Keele made her mark in the business world by co-founding two companies, taking her first one public. Keele is the founder of (B), a company that curates tribes of women that come together to rebuild their lives and relinquish the patterns of behavior that hold them back. It employs a course-correction curriculum for professional advancement, leadership, and personal growth. www.keeleburgin.com
WHOLLY UNRAVELED: A Memoir by Keele Burgin Little A ▪ 2019 ▪ Memoir ▪ 286pp Hardcover ▪ 978-1-54204-260-4
