thirst: a memoir
Thirst lives in the distance between the life we inherit and the life we choose. It asks what becomes possible when the stories that shaped us no longer define us, and the longing for freedom begins to guide the way forward.
What Thirst Is About
On December 6, 1984, twelve-year-old Lisa Fierer was called out of class and told that her mother had been killed and her father arrested for the crime.
Thirst follows the years that came after: grief, addiction, fractured relationships and self-destruction. It is also a story of what endured alongside the wreckage: community, humor, yoga, and the discipline of staying present inside a life irrevocably changed.
At its heart, Thirst is the story of a person forging her own path, finding threads of connection along the way, and claiming the agency to choose healing of the inheritence of pain.
Why This Story Matters
At its heart, Thirst is about the distance between the lives we are given and the lives we choose.
It mirrors questions many people carry quietly:
How do we move forward without forgetting?
What does forgiveness mean when harm is real?
How do we build a life that feels honest after everything changes?
Thirst invites readers into space to wrestle with questions and emotions on a path toward understanding, compassion, and choice.
Recognition
Winner, Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards (2021)
Top 10 Books of 2023, Yoga Journal (#4)
#1 Bestseller, Boulder Bookstore (December 2023)
Praise For Thirst
“Lisa Fierer has bravely excavated her family’s history and somehow emerges with a sense of lightness that encourages us to forgive and be lighter too.”
“Lisa’s story is a breathtaking example of how yoga off the mat can show up and how deeply it penetrates when sincerity and commitment like hers are present.”
“Lisa approaches forgiveness and resilience with honesty and insight. Her story is one we can all learn from.”
In the World
In December 2023, Lisa read from Thirst at the Boulder Bookstore in a standing-room-only event, followed by conversation and a community book signing.
The reading marked one of many moments where this story has been shared not only on the page, but in connection with others.
Boulder Bookstore Reading, Dec. 2023
Audiobook Narrated by Nina Rolle
The Original Voice of Amazon Alexa
The audiobook edition of Thirst was created in close collaboration with Nina Rolle, whose voice is recognized worldwide as the original voice of Alexa.
Together, author and narrator shaped a listening experience grounded in emotional clarity, strength, and authenticity.
Through her Giving Voice initiative, Nina chose Thirst as part of her work elevating women’s stories of transformation and resilience, themes central to Lisa’s speaking and teaching.
For audiences who value story as lived experience, the audiobook offers another powerful way to engage the work.
Some stories do not ask to be consumed quickly.
They ask to be carried carefully, honestly, and in time.
Thirst is an invitation to reflect on what we hold, what we release, and how we choose to live with what remains.