Best Books
College football fans have welcomed Birmingham’s own Emmy Award-winning ESPN sideline reporter Lauren Sisler into their homes weekly since 2016. For years, the popular journalist known for asking insightful questions and her signature “Sideline Shimmy” viral dance videos, shielded a tragic secret. Her mother and father died within hours of each other, victims of their hidden battle with prescription-drug addiction. She’s now put the experience and the truths she’s learned from it to paper in her new book, Shatterproof: How I Overcame the Shame of Losing My Parents to Opioid Addiction (and Found My Sideline Shimmy).
“It’s a deeply personal and painful story, one I’ve shared for a while now in speeches across the country, but the book goes into depth I can’t get into on the stage,” Sisler says. “I’m excited to finally be able to place the story, painful as it is, into the hands of readers- because I think it has the power to bring great healing to many, to help them learn to fall in love with their own stories.”
As Sisler shared her story in speeches, she realized that people often had more questions, and she wanted to be able to give them something to take home and lean into. She went back and forth on when to write Shatterproof. “I got to the point where I was ready to uncover the whole story,” Sisler says, adding that she found great freedom in owning and sharing her story. “I didn’t realize how much healing this process of writing a book would bring.”
Sisler’s prayer for anyone that reads Shatterproof is that “they find strength and hope in their own stories. I hope that through my journey, readers realize they are not alone in their struggles and that resilience is within reach for us all. I pray they embrace their vulnerabilities, recognizing that our challenges do not define us but rather shape us into stronger, more compassionate individuals,” Sislers says, adding, “May they be inspired to share their own stories, using their voices to spark influence and positive change in their communities. Above all, I pray that each reader finds the courage to fall in love with their story and know that every chapter is stitched together as God’s masterpiece.” Shatterproof releases on October 1, 2024. It is available for preorder now at www.laurensisler.com. †
