Swimming Naked with Jellyfish: the Coming-of-age Story of a Girl Who Hates Semicolons, Loves Extremes, and Lives Her Life Exposed. Paperback edition

IRIS ANDREA confronts her grief over multiple loss of family by writing her memoir. She flashes back to growing up in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, 1950s-60s, then fast forwards to an immediate presence of understanding. In her effort to discover her identity and self-worth, she digs up intense childhood anger for her beloved tyrant father, neglecting mother, jealous sister but she also finds love.

She powerfully narrates her encounters with her violent father and rebellion against the trapped submissive females of her family by escaping with the freedom-loving males. She discloses an insecure, sensual adolescence throbbing in the birth of Rock and Roll, her firsts, her taste in men, shame and attempted suicide, failed marriage, great passion and tragedy.

Iris realizes she's always searching to fill the holes in her whole.