Tessa Fontaine on Mother-Daughter Relationships

The Other F Word: Conversations About Failure

Tessa Fontaine is the author of “The Electric Woman”, a story about her complex relationship with her mother and her parallel experience of traveling with America’s last Sideshow. Tessa shares her remarkable journey of pain and loneliness growing up with a mother who couldn’t connect emotionally. Their relationship was further complicated by her mother suffering multiple strokes and near death experiences, leaving her in a profound state of disconnect. Needing an escape from the constant state of crisis and worry, Tessa joined America’s last Sideshow as a strange new way to face her fears, connect with others who had also suffered, and persevere on a whole new level. She articulates how this crazy experience led her to a new sense of understanding and compassion for her mom and their complex relationship. Her journey is filled with layers of failure and the strange bright sides that come from facing your darkest moments.

Find out more about Tessa & her book @: www.tessafontaine.com