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You will want to put the book down but find yourself waking up to read more. Each sister shares their truth in this raw and edgy memoir. Through the letters of the Gibert and McBride girls, we catch a glimpse of what childhood trauma looks like and how these sisters overcome it through laughter and love. This is a must read and will help you relate to those who have experienced trauma.
-Melisa Alaba
Author and Life Coach
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Diva Five Alive is the story of five sisters who triumphed over tremendous adversity. It is the story of the the Gibert and McBride girls: Marilyn, Brenda, Carolyn, Julie, and Evette, women whose lives are tainted by dysfunction, domestic violence, substance abuse and mental illness.
After years of struggle and perseverance, they learn the secrets of resilience. Their story will make you laugh and cry. You will root for the heroines all the way through. Diva Five Alive will inspire you with their struggles, victories, pains, hurts, losses, and triumphs.
This book was written to touch the lives of thousands of people, who may have experienced the same kind of pain, who can gain strength through the example of five women who were able to overcome great odds to achieve lives of meaning and purpose. Diva Five Alive is a story of triumph, of five women who learned to “claim their joy.”
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Dr. Julie Ann Gray
Dr. Julie Gray co-authors this book with her sisters. Through letter writing, the sisters share the stories of their childhood. Diva Five Alive is a story of triumph, sorrow and incredible laughter, as the sisters relive their childhood through letters.
Julie obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Behavioral Science from National Louis University in Chicago, Illinois, a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams School of Social Work, a certificate in School Social Work from Loyola University in Chicago, and a PsyD., with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Julie has spent the majority of her social services career working at various non-profit agencies as a clinician, supervisor, and administrator. In July of 2017, Julie opened up her own private psychotherapy practice in Torrance, California, where she treats individuals who have experienced trauma, substance abuse, depression, anxiety and family of origin issues.
Julie was born and raised in Evanston, IL and relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 2010. She is the proud mother of four adult children, Nicole, Lauren, Joshua, and Naomi, and the proud grandmother of two granddaughters, AnnMarie and Leila.