Molly Rideout

What would you do if your partner gifted you a wanted poster he found on eBay? Would you write a letter to the teenager’s now 77-year-old son to find out the full story? Maybe that was a terrible idea, but I’m so glad I did. I learned that “prison escapee” was merely the tip of the iceberg of this resilient woman. At thirteen Frances Belle McFarland married her uncle’s brother-in-law. He beat her enough that she lost three babies in utero. Soon after running away at seventeen, she was arrested for prostitution. After two years in prison, she escaped. Her second husband was a one-eyed hobo. They were happy for more than fifteen years, had three kids, but wrote fake names on the birth certificates of two. Then came his logging accident, and the surgeries, barber school, and the gun. 

“I Made My Mistakes, Your Make Yours” is a story of perseverance and imperfection and hardship. It’s a story of loving someone despite their gaping faults. This November I’ll be releasing it in an editioned handmade book with a letterpress printed cover. Sign up for my newsletter on my About page (link in bio) to get the announcement when pre-orders open in October and learn the amazing life of this badass woman.