Local author Jennifer Liberatore will visit Dog Ears Bookstore & Café, 688 Abbott Road, Buffalo, for a book-signing event from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Her book, You Wonderful Boy, is a mother’s memoir of her son’s tragic fight against OCD, bulimia and addiction. Liberatore poignantly tells the story of her son’s mental illness, her family’s attempt to save him and her journey of healing after his death.
Zachary was truly a wonderful boy. He was an honor student, quarterback of his high school football team, and loved by everyone who knew him, especially his three younger brothers. Zach had a bright future ahead of him until the onset of severe obsessive-compulsive disorder at age 16. He never gave up his fight, which led him to six inpatient and six outpatient facilities all over the country. He was a strong advocate of raising awareness and breaking the stigma of mental illness. Zach died of an opioid overdose in October 2020 at the age of 24.
You Wonderful Boy is a beautiful and vulnerable story about motherhood, perseverance, healing and hope.
Jennifer is a mom of four sons, author, yoga teacher and reiki master. She was born and raised in Hamburg and has been an Orchard Park resident for over 30 years. She is a former co-owner of the Pilates Co-op in Orchard Park and former owner of Lotus Yoga in Hamburg.
Following Zach’s death in 2020, Jennifer began teaching a yoga class for grief in the community, using the tools that helped her to heal. She also founded a foundation with her family called the Zach Liberatore Foundation which has raised almost $300,000 for Oishei Children’s Hospital’s Psychiatric Clinic and OCD program. She wrote You Wonderful Boy to tell Zach’s story and to continue his mission of helping people.
For more information on Dog Ears Bookstore, please visit dogearsbookstore.org or follow the nonprofit community bookstore on Facebook for frequent updates.
