Loose Cannons
By Diana Cannon-Ragsdale
Diana Cannon-Ragsdale was born into a Mormon dynasty. Her father Ted Cannon was a local celebrity in Salt Lake City, her family's ancestors were contemporaries of Brigham Young and they all had many dark secrets to keep.
Growing up at the mercy of her mother's depression and father's undiagnosed schizophrenia, Diana and her five siblings were left to fend for themselves as their mom and dad rotated in and out of psychiatric hospitals and police custody.
Finally, in 1966, Diana's mother left her family and the Mormon Church to start a new relationship with a woman, sending Diana's father into a tailspin.
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In Loose Cannons, Diana traces her rebellious 1970s girlhood-amidst her father's multiple suicide attempts and remarriage to her mother's sister. As she and her siblings barreled into adulthoods they weren't ready for, they tried to rely on each other while reproducing broken relationships of their own.
Eventually, after several divorces and while raising three children of her own, Diana reconnected with her estranged mother and inherited a lifetime's worth of her journals. After decades spent searching for answers, her mother's writing about swingers' parties, sexual abuse, ancient wounds and broken attempts at happiness reframed everything Diana thought she knew about her family and herself.Â
A debut memoir like no other, Loose Cannons is a harrowing and hilarious saga spanning more than 60 years of multigenerational trauma and dysfunction-and the spiritual power it took to overcome it all.
Author Bio
Diana Cannon-Ragsdale is an author, retired physical therapist, outspoken critic of the Mormon Church, and mental health advocate for survivors of abusive and dysfunctional families. Diana attended the University of Utah on a dance scholarship and in retirement has dedicated herself to travel and creativity. Today, she lives happily in Salt Lake City, Utah as a married mother of five and grandmother of eight. Loose Cannons is her first book.
Loose Cannons in the News
Daily Mail
Ex-Mormon mother-of-three reveals how she finally fled the religion after being raised in a 'family filled with mental illness and abuse' by parents who hid illicit smoking, drinking, and even SWINGING from the church
Today Show
It took leaving my strict religion at age 57 to realize that I deserve happiness
ISBNs:
- 978-1956955231 (Hardcover)
- 978-1956955217 (Paperback)Â
Genre:
- Memoir
- Family
- Mental Health
- Trauma & Healing
- Women’s Stories
- Inspiration
Themes:
- Family Secrets and Dysfunction
- Mental Health Struggles
- Resilience Through Adversity
- Breaking Cycles of Trauma
- Identity and Self-Discovery
- Forgiveness and Healing
- Strength Through Storytelling
FAQs:Â Â
Q: What is Loose Cannons about?
A: Loose Cannons is Diana Cannon-Ragsdale’s powerful memoir that uncovers the painful and complicated history of her family while tracing her own journey toward healing. With raw honesty, she reflects on generational trauma, mental illness and resilience in the face of chaos.
Q: Who is Diana Cannon-Ragsdale?
A: Diana Cannon-Ragsdale is a writer and speaker who uses her personal experiences to shed light on family dysfunction and the challenges of mental health. Her story brings a voice of courage and authenticity to difficult but important conversations.
Q: What makes this memoir different from other family stories?
A: Unlike typical family memoirs, Loose Cannons explores the impact of multiple generations of dysfunction, offering a deeply personal yet universally resonant narrative. Cannon-Ragsdale combines brutal honesty with hope, creating a book that is as healing as it is harrowing.
Q: Who would enjoy reading Loose Cannons?
A: Readers interested in family memoirs, mental health journeys and stories of resilience will find this book especially meaningful. It speaks to anyone who has faced hardship within family dynamics and sought to change their future rather than repeat their past.Â
