Debut Memoir · Available Now
From Fire
to Freedom
A Memoir of Transformation, Renewal, and Resilience
By Dr. Bertina M. Hooks
About the Book
Synopsis
From Fire to Freedom is an intimate and deeply reflective memoir about surviving pressure, rebuilding identity, and finding freedom after adversity. Through stories shaped by medicine, motherhood, personal loss, professional expectations, burnout, reinvention, and resilience, Dr. Bertina Hooks shares the realities that often exist beneath outward success.
This is a memoir about the fires that test us — the pressures of a demanding career, the weight of unmet expectations, the grief that accumulates quietly, and the moments when everything we thought defined us begins to unravel. It is also about what becomes possible on the other side: clarity, freedom, and a more authentic version of self.
At its heart, this is a story about becoming — not despite life's fires, but because of them.
Book Description
From Fire to Freedom: A Memoir of Transformation, Renewal, and Resilience is the deeply personal story of Dr. Bertina M. Hooks—a physician, mother, survivor, and woman forced to rebuild her life after a sudden, life-threatening illness resulted in the loss of her right leg.
Beginning with the terrifying moment she moved from physician to patient, Dr. Hooks traces the experiences that shaped her: an ambitious childhood, the pursuit of medicine, racism and sexism within the profession, motherhood, marriage and divorce, professional adversity, disability, grief, faith, and the long journey back to herself.
With honesty, vulnerability, and hope, she explores what happens when the life you carefully built changes without warning—and how healing begins when you stop measuring your worth by what was lost.
From Fire to Freedom is more than a story of survival. It is an invitation to release limiting expectations, reclaim your identity, and rise with renewed purpose from the ashes of the life you once knew.
Official Book Trailer
From Fire to Freedom Video Reveal
Editorial Review
Critical Acclaim
From Fire to Freedom: A Memoir of Transformation, Renewal, and Resilience documents a physician's move from doctor to patient when she struggles with necrotizing fasciitis, amputation, healing, and the circumstances which brought her to this life-threatening moment.
As she surveys the roots of this fire and her marathon sprint through life, the isolating, demanding world of medical school, and working on the front lines of a global crisis caused by COVID-19, Hooks leads readers through repeated themes of isolation, broken family and personal ties, and the eventual impact of moving from hero/doctor to patient.
From her life with daughter Bianca, which gives her reason to live and fight, to reflections on how to live on her own terms, readers gain insights into all kinds of life values and challenges, from professional to personal pathways to healing and transformation, in a story marked with the highs and lows of experience.
The result is more than another story of physicians becoming patients, but an account of a fuller recovery than physical survival alone. Libraries interested in memoirs that embrace medical and psychological transformative thinking will find that From Fire to Freedom offers a special form of hope and insights. This also will lend to vivid book club and reading group discussions, whether the patrons be versed in medical worlds or life changes, including divorce, limb amputation, and reinventing one's life.
From Fire to Freedom is a powerful memoir of survival, resilience, and the difficult journey from physician to patient, and is a clear winner.
Donovan's Literary Services
October 2026 Review Issue
What This Book Explores
Themes
Available Now
Order the Memoir
Released September 23, 2026
From Fire to Freedom is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IngramSpark, major audiobook platforms, and directly through this website.
Unsigned Copy
Order your standard copy of From Fire to Freedom. Shipped directly to your door.
Signed Copy
Order a personalized copy hand-signed by Dr. Bertina M. Hooks. Includes an author inscription and bookmark.
Published by Phoenix Ascend Press · Secure checkout via Stripe
Book Journey
From Manuscript to Launch
Every great story has a journey. Follow the path of From Fire to Freedom from first word to publication.
6 of 6 milestones completed
The Story Begins
Lived experience, reflection, and the courage to put it on the page.
Writing & Revision
Drafting, refining, and shaping the manuscript over many seasons.
Editorial Review
Manuscript in editorial and design development with Phoenix Ascend Press.
Production & Print
Cover design, interior layout, printing, and digital formatting.
Launch Campaign
Media outreach, podcast tour, launch celebrations, and events.
Official Launch — September 23, 2026
Available now on Amazon (Paperback, Kindle & Audiobook) and major retailers.
The Story Begins
Lived experience, reflection, and the courage to put it on the page.
Writing & Revision
Drafting, refining, and shaping the manuscript over many seasons.
Editorial Review
Manuscript in editorial and design development with Phoenix Ascend Press.
Production & Print
Cover design, interior layout, printing, and digital formatting.
Launch Campaign
Media outreach, podcast tour, launch celebrations, and events.
Official Launch — September 23, 2026
Available now on Amazon (Paperback, Kindle & Audiobook) and major retailers.
Phoenix Ascend Press
Future Books
More from Phoenix Ascend Press — Forthcoming titles will appear here as published.
Book Excerpt
Read an exclusive sample excerpt from From Fire to Freedom.
Book Club Discussion Guide
Download discussion questions and reflection prompts for your book club meeting.
Book Clubs Welcome
Book Club Inquiry
Dr. Hooks welcomes book club appearances — virtual and in-person. Complete the form below and her team will be in touch to discuss availability and details.
Dr. Hooks' team typically responds within 5–7 business days.
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"You are not broken. Give yourself permission to evolve." — Dr. Bertina M. Hooks