A MEMOIR
Raising Wrenns
A story of survival, identity, and rewriting the narratives that once kept you small.
What This Book Is About
Raising Wrenns is the story of a girl growing up in the shadow of poverty, addiction, and loss — and the quiet, fierce strength it took to believe that her life could be more than the world around her.
She was scared.
She was alone.
She was brave.
She was fierce.
And she kept going.
Mal Wrenn Corbin was raised in Worcester, Massachusetts — a once-thriving mill city hollowed out by factory closures, hunger, and inherited grief. In those days, people said no one ever got out. But even in the hardest moments, there were flashes of tenderness that refused to die: her brother's laughter, grasshoppers caught in the dirt behind the house, and the stubborn belief that there must be something better ahead.
Blending personal narrative with the natural history and mythology of wrens — small birds known for their resilience and unlikely strength — Corbin traces her journey from survival to self-worth, from invisibility to voice. The result is a memoir that is both unflinching and deeply hopeful: a testament to the power of love, identity, and choosing to become who you were meant to be.
For readers of The Glass Castle and Educated, Raising Wrenns offers a quiet, luminous reminder: We are all worthy of a beautiful life. Even — and especially — when we were told we were not.
Whether you've faced hardship or not, this memoir will resonate with anyone who has ever questioned the story they've been living from — and wondered if something more was possible.
PRAISE FOR RAISING WRENNS
Runner-Up, Indie Author Project 2024 Memoir of the Year
Kirkus Recommended Review
"A poignant and resonant memoir of loss."
"OUR VERDICT: GET IT"
What Readers Are Saying:
Why This Story Matters
Raising Wrenns is more than a memoir about overcoming adversity. It's a story that illuminates how the narratives we inherit — through hardship, expectation, or simply the stories we've been told about who we are — shape our sense of what's possible.
Mal's journey reveals a universal truth: we all carry beliefs about what we're capable of and what we deserve. Her story offers proof that those narratives aren't permanent — and that rewriting them is possible.
If you've ever felt stuck between who you are and who you're meant to be, this story will stay with you.
CONTENT GUIDANCE
Raising Wrenns contains frank discussions of domestic violence, sexual assault, substance abuse, suicide, and childhood trauma. These experiences are shared with honesty and care, but readers should be aware of these themes before beginning.
Where To Buy
Available in paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.
About The Author
Mal Wrenn Corbin is a keynote speaker, author, and TEDx speaker.
Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, Mal grew up navigating instability, poverty, and uncertainty. At 14, she made the brave decision to ask for a foster home — the first of many choices that would reshape her identity and her future.
She went on to graduate from Dartmouth College, build a successful career in financial services, and create a life grounded in joy and possibility — a future she once believed was meant for someone else.
Her memoir, Raising Wrenns, transforms that personal history into a story of resilience, identity, and rewriting the narratives that once kept her small. Today, Mal brings those same themes to her speaking and writing, helping people break through self-limiting beliefs and step into who they’re meant to be.
Mal lives in Massachusetts with her family.
READY TO READ MAL’S STORY?
Raising Wrenns is available now in paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.
If this book resonates with you, consider sharing it with someone who might need to hear this story.