Kristen Suzanne Atkinson Brings Her Memoir of Faith and Family to the 2025 LA Times Festival of Books

In “Times to Weep, Laugh, Mourn and Dance” Atkinson explores how faith, resilience, and love guide one through the challenges of growing up in a schizoid family

YORBA LINDA, CA, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With mental health remaining at the forefront of social conversations, Kristen Suzanne Atkinson—known by her pen name, Cairis —sat down to write her debut memoir, “Times to Weep, Laugh, Mourn and Dance: Living With Schizoid Family and Faith.” More than a tribute to her family, Atkinson opens a window into a world often hidden behind closed doors—a world shaped by love, mental illness, and unshakable faith.

Now, this memoir will be on display at one of the country’s largest literary gatherings—the LA Times Festival of Books, taking place April 26–27, 2025, at the University of Southern California. Readers can find Cairis’s book at the Inks and Bindings Booth #930, located in the Black Zone, where free copies will also be distributed to visitors throughout the weekend.

Spanning decades, “Times to Weep, Laugh, Mourn and Dance: Living With Schizoid Family and Faith.” chronicles Atkinson’s life from age seven to sixty-eight, beginning with the birth of her younger brother and culminating in the bittersweet chapter of his passing. The book captures the lived reality of growing up with a mother and siblings affected by schizophrenia and schizoid personality disorder. But it is more than a chronicle of hardship—it is a story of spiritual survival, healing, and hope.

With the intent to inspire and inform, Atkinson crafted a narrative that intertwines personal memory with spiritual insight, poetry, and historical context. The lives of her mother and siblings profoundly influenced her journey, and she writes with the conviction that their bond will one day be renewed in Heaven.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, and raised in Columbus, Kristen Suzanne Atkinson has been writing since the first grade. She earned her BA in English, Theater, and Art from Humboldt State University—where she also served as editor of the HSU Toyon Literary publication—and later completed her MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University in Missouri. She currently resides in Grand Terrace, California, in the very home she once shared with her family between 1961 and 1974.

As Kristen embraces the role of author, storyteller, and spiritual witness, “Times to Weep, Laugh, Mourn and Dance: Living With Schizoid Family and Faith” marks her first published memoir—and a heartfelt beginning to more stories she feels called to share.

Readers attending the LA Times Festival of Books are invited to visit Inks and Bindings at Booth #930 in the Black Zone, where they can explore Atkinson’s book and discover other featured works. Not only will attendees have the opportunity to learn more about Atkinson’s moving memoir, but they can also receive a complimentary copy of the book, available while supplies last.

For additional details on the festival, including the full schedule of events, visit https://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/. To explore the full list of books highlighted by Inks and Bindings, visit https://inksandbindings.com/latfobbooks2025/. And for exclusive behind-the-scenes content and author features, be sure to check out the latest issue of their magazine, available at https://inksandbindings.com/latfob-magazine.


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