Born into obedience. Freed by defiance. Five-year-old Amber Hayes doesn’t ask for much. There isn’t a lot left to go around after her brothers have had their fill, so she does what comes naturally to little girls: Smile and do as she’s told. Amber’s older brother Chad is her closest friend and hero, protecting her when their parents descend into violent rows. Even their fickle, sometimes explosive mother softens in Chad’s presence. But the boy has an unusual fixation with his developing body, and coerces Amber into experiments that leave her trembling, nauseous, and confused. Years after the abuse is over, shame lives on in Amber’s body until a startling medical diagnosis makes it clear she must finally face the trauma of her past. What follows is both shocking, and revelatory. The Obedient Daughter is a rare glimpse into sibling sexual abuse and the impact of undiagnosed conditions like borderline personality disorder. Told with unflinching clarity, it’s also a memoir about finding the beauty in broken things, and building new possibilities from the wreckage of the past.