The new memoir · Her story. Her truth. Her legacy.
Rags to Robes
An Orphaned Girl's Journey of Faith, Purpose and Resilience
Her beginning wasn't her whole story.
She survived a childhood no child should have to endure. Then she built a life of purpose. In 1961, four-year-old Marie rode from Louisiana to Indiana with her mother, her aunts and five older siblings. What followed was abuse and placement in an orphanage. This memoir follows her from that childhood to her service as a Magistrate Commissioner in New Orleans.
- 1961A long car ride north, away from her father and the only home she had known.
- The orphanageHard lessons about life, and a refusal to let them break her.
- Faith and familyThe moments, decisions and family interventions that changed her path.
- The benchMagistrate Commissioner in the Criminal District Court of New Orleans.
“Marie A. Bookman’s memoir is an inspirational story of triumph over adversity.”
Contact Marie for ordering and availability.
The meditations · A moment to yourself
Daily Gumbo for the Soul
Meditations
Nourishment for the life you're living. A collection of thoughtful meditations to feed the mind and soul. Each one invites you to slow down, reflect, build better habits, and bring a little more intention to every day, for your own life and for the people around you.
- Reflection
- Encouragement
- Intentional habits
- Community
“Daily Gumbo for the Soul offers us meaningful cues on how to be our best selves.”
Daily Gumbo for the Soul is linked to Amazon. Contact Marie for Rags to Robes ordering information.
The poetry · Written after Katrina
Breach of My Heart
Poems and photographs from New Orleans after the storm.
In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated Marie's community. She lost her home and everything in it. She came back to New Orleans to serve as a Magistrate Commissioner and to start rebuilding. Living in half of a shotgun double Uptown, she faced her city by day and her demons by night, and wrote the most raw and emotional poetry of her life.
- Loss
- Home
- Rebuilding
- New Orleans
“Your book was so delightful and heartwarming. It tells the real story of Katrina as we saw it.”
Author, Attorney and Retired Magistrate Commissioner
Meet Marie · The woman behind the words
She lived the story. Now she's sharing the wisdom.
Marie A. Bookman is a New Orleans, Louisiana native with Uptown roots. She is a mother and an attorney. She earned her law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, served as a Magistrate Commissioner of the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans, and taught as an adjunct professor at Tulane University School of Law.
Her path began far from the courtroom. As a child, she endured abuse and placement in an orphanage. Rags to Robes tells the story of the faith, family interventions and defining choices that shaped her journey toward purpose and service.
In Daily Gumbo for the Soul, she offers meditations for reflection and personal growth. Together, these books share the story she lived and the wisdom she carries forward.
- Mother
- Attorney
- Retired Magistrate Commissioner
- Former adjunct professor, Tulane Law
- Author
- 01
Louisiana beginnings
Born in New Orleans, with roots Uptown.
- 02
1961
At four, she travels to Indiana with her mother, aunts and five older siblings. Abuse and an orphanage follow.
- 03
Faith, family and defining choices
Her memoir traces the faith, the decisions and the family interventions that changed her direction.
- 04
Law and service
A law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, the Criminal District Court bench, and a classroom at Tulane University School of Law.
- 05
Author
She shares her story in Rags to Robes, her reflections for daily living in Daily Gumbo for the Soul and her poetry in Breach of My Heart.
Faith. Purpose. Resilience.
The past is a chapter. Keep turning the page.
A life story that speaks to possibility. Daily reflections that make room for growth.
Praise for the books
Stories that move us. Words that stay.
On Rags to Robes
“This memoir serves as a powerful reminder to trust the process because our beginnings do not dictate our destination.”
On Rags to Robes
“Marie A. Bookman’s memoir is an inspirational story of triumph over adversity.”
On Daily Gumbo for the Soul
“Daily Gumbo for the Soul offers us meaningful cues on how to be our best selves.”
On Breach of My Heart
“It tells the real story of Katrina as we saw it.”
Questions
Readers ask
Short answers about Marie, her books, and how to reach her.
Who is Marie A. Bookman?
Marie A. Bookman is a New Orleans native, a mother, an attorney and an author. She is a retired Magistrate Commissioner of the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans, a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and a former adjunct professor at Tulane University School of Law.
What is Daily Gumbo for the Soul about?
Daily Gumbo for the Soul: Meditations is a collection of meditations for reflection and encouragement. It invites readers to build more intentional habits and to think about the change they want to bring to their lives and communities.
What is Rags to Robes about?
Rags to Robes follows Marie from 1961, when she left Louisiana for Indiana at age four and was later abused and placed in an orphanage, to her service as a Magistrate Commissioner in New Orleans. It is a story of faith, purpose and resilience.
What is Breach of My Heart about?
Breach of My Heart is a collection of poems Marie wrote in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina destroyed her home and community, published with photographs of the city taken during and right after the storm.
Is Rags to Robes a memoir?
Yes. Rags to Robes is Marie's own life story, told in her words. Daily Gumbo for the Soul is a book of meditations, and Breach of My Heart is poetry.
Where can I purchase Marie Bookman's books?
Daily Gumbo for the Soul is available on Amazon. To order Rags to Robes or Breach of My Heart, ask Marie about ordering.
How can I inquire about a signing or author appearance?
Send your request through Marie's contact page. Include the date, location and type of event.
