One Suitcase and a Prayer: A True Story of Survival, Faith, and the Long Road Home

At twelve years old, Susan Johnson was placed on a Greyhound bus with nothing but the clothes on her back—no money, no suitcase, and no clear destination. What followed was a life shaped by loss, abandonment, abuse, and survival—yet also marked by unexpected mercy, resilience, and faith.

One Suitcase and a Prayer is the true story of a woman who endured more than most could imagine: the death of her parents, childhood homelessness, an early and violent marriage, years of control and fear, the loss of a child, betrayal by those she trusted, and repeated moments when everything she had built seemed to collapse at once. Again and again, she stood at the edge of despair—and chose to keep going.

The “suitcase” came later. The prayer was always there.

This memoir is not about perfection or easy answers. It is about endurance. It is about the long road of learning how to survive, how to protect what matters most, and how faith can quietly carry someone through seasons where strength feels impossible.

With honesty and humility, Susan shares her journey of survival, motherhood, heartbreak, and healing—offering hope to anyone who has ever wondered why leaving was so hard, why learning took so long, or whether it is ever truly possible to begin again.

This is a story for survivors.
For mothers.
For those who have lost everything and kept walking anyway.

Because sometimes, all you start with is nothing at all—
and a prayer is still enough.