Hazell C. McKenzie is the author of Suitcase of Dreams. 

For Food Network star Hazell McKenzie, coming to the US as a teen was supposed to be her deliverance. But achieving the “American Dream” proved harder than she thought. Hazell Mckenzie’s path of descent is a stunning testament to her determination as a woman and as a mother.

She began on her path as a bright-eyed, teenaged island girl who migrated to the U.S., but, faced with illness, poverty, and an unfamiliar city, she curved quickly downward toward depression, anxiety, and fear.

Time and time again, through every downward curve, Hazell’s path has tested her patience, her drive, and her faith. Yet, time and time again, she has risen like a phoenix blazing a trail upwards, to success.

This story, Hazell’s story, is an inspiration to all. With every twist and turn of Hazell’s life, you may feel your own life changing.

And it all started with a Suitcase of Dreams.