Elm Grove Publishing

       If she had grown up with Generation Z, instead of in the 1940s, Lila Sanden might have been part of the influencer culture. But there was no social media in her world. Instead, she saved up her stories and recollections—as well as her often cynical commentary—sharing them here, for the very first time. 

       Becoming Lila wasn’t easy. From her earliest memories of growing up in a traditional Finnish family in Minnesota, to the harrowing days of high school and an increasingly abusive alcoholic father—to a fairytale romance with a future US Navy Captain, seemingly forever on the move while raising her own children.

       There is much today’s generation can learn from Lila. Her voice is strong—it makes the reader want to listen—yet her words are gentle and poetic. The stories are sometimes emotional, sometimes hilarious, but always mesmerizing.

       Becoming Lila is a poignant and entertaining memoir—as relevant today as it ever was.

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        Urged by her family and friends, Lila Hietala Sanden began writing her memoir, Becoming Lila, during the Covid pandemic in 2020.  Becoming Lila is an American coming-of-age story, and so much more.  Laced with the author’s  zest for life, her passion for the people surrounding her and a wonderful, absurdist humor—even in the shadow of tragedy and loss—it is the story of a life well-lived.