An excerpt from Dirty Feet and Hungry Hearts-- Why? This was the question my sister and I asked each other, over and over. Every time we started talking about our mother, it was always this unanswered question we were left with. Why was she so unhappy? Why was she so abusive to Daddy, who loved her with his whole heart and soul? Why wouldn't she take care of herself? When I decided to try and find the answer, it was very hard to face those long buried memories from my childhood. But I did come to understand why. Author Jeanette Gardner uses her deeply personal memoir to share the touching story of her mother Pearl's journey, from growing up the daughter of a wealthy family in Illinois to living in a shack in Wyoming.