Author Maria Star developed in a schizophrenic's womb for nine months. After Maria was born, she was given to the Children's Aid Society and subsequently experienced life in six foster homes before being adopted. In Orphan Spirit, she narrates the story of her life and how her early abandonment affected her, including her childhood and subsequent psychological treatment and healing. In this memoir, Maria tells how she sailed through childhood but the onset of adolescence opened the way for the buried trauma to come to the surface. She shares how she scrambled through twenty years of dysfunctional relationships, addictions, chaos, a cancer diagnosis, and the birth of two children of her own. Through the stories told in Orphan Spirit, Maria's hope is that her journey will provide insight and comfort to others. She wants anyone who has been debilitated by shame, isolation, and secrets to know they are not alone.