Terese Marie Mailhot

Terese Marie Mailhot is the author, narrator, and main character of Heart Berries. She is a Native American woman and a professional writer with an M.F.A. in creative writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. Mailhot's childhood was challenging in many ways. She had to deal with poverty, an absent and abusive father, and neglect, among other things. She spent time living on a native reserve and other times in foster care, although she does not go into much detail about her experiences in the system. As a teenager, Mailhot left home and married her boyfriend, Vito, in the hopes of finding a safe home of her own. The relationship quickly dissolved while Terese was pregnant with their second child. She lost custody of their first son in the divorce, but maintained full custody of her newborn and moved away to start...