Making My Way

A Story of Grit and Grace

by Damaris Melo-Gyasi

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Pub Date Apr 13 2026 | Archive Date Jun 04 2026

My Word Publishing | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles

Biographies & Memoirs | Multicultural Interest

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Description

From the crowded streets of São Paulo to the wide, unfamiliar skies of the American Midwest, Damaris Melo-Gyasi has spent her life crossing borders-geographical, cultural, economic, and spiritual. In this gripping and deeply personal memoir, she reveals how a young Brazilian girl with big dreams learned to survive, rebuild, and rise in a world that repeatedly told her she was "too much."

With unflinching honesty and unexpected humor, Damaris chronicles the highs and heartbreaks of forging a life far from home: navigating immigration and breaking through professional and personal ceilings, and discovering what resilience really feels like when no one is watching. Through every twist, she writes with the clarity of someone who has lived through fire-and come out shining.

At its heart, Making My Way is a powerful meditation on ambition, identity, and the systems that shape us. Damaris' story is for anyone who has dared to dream beyond their circumstances-and discovered that perseverance, faith, and grace may be enough to build an entirely new life.

A Note From the Publisher

ISBN Hardcover: 979-8-218-87852-8

Advance Praise

"Making My Way emphasizes process over simple resolution, building resilience through endurance rather than instant mastery. Readers interested in immigrant narratives and faith-driven memoirs will find this a resonant work." —BookLife Reviews

“Inner-city, South American Black girls did not attend renowned universities or build architectural careers in the United States. Achieving that alone sounds like success. But more noteworthy is how I moved through a process that repeatedly threatened to undo me - and the steady formula that carried me as I navigated it.” —Midwest Book Review

"I loved how the work captured the importance of believing in oneself and of strong social support. The book also addresses other issues, such as sexual harassment of women in public places. It reminds people to speak out when such evil happens." —Frank Mutuma for Readers' Favorite

STARRED REVIEW

"Melo-Gyasi's remarkable memoir is a profound testament to the endurance of the human spirit. Readers will carry her story like a shield against self-doubt and self-sabotage." —BlueInk Review

"...an inspiring true story that illustrates the importance of resilience, perseverance, and resolve..." —Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

"A story about maintaining personal integrity in strange and hostile surroundings in order to succeed, Making My Way is a compelling memoir." —Michele Sharpe for Clarion Foreword Reviews

"It speaks of the quiet persistence required to keep moving forward and offers a meaningful portrait of a life built step by step." —Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite

Marketing Plan

PR team securing podcasting and media interviews and press releases.
Goodreads Giveaway
Live book launch with 200 people in Minneapolis
Review blitz for four months
Amazon Bestseller Campaign
Amazon ads for three months
Bookbub campaign
Book contests
Speaking engagements around the country

PR team securing podcasting and media interviews and press releases.
Goodreads Giveaway
Live book launch with 200 people in Minneapolis
Review blitz for four months
Amazon Bestseller Campaign
Amazon ads...

Available Editions

EDITION	Paperback
ISBN	9798218878498
PRICE	$18.95 (USD)
PAGES	336

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