The Crocodiles Will Arrive Later

Growing up in mid-century suburban Los Angeles, Kathy McCoy had three major fears: first, that she would grow up to become a suburban housewife as powerless as her mother; second, nuclear annihilation; third, that her father would kill her. The latter wasn't out of the question: her alcoholic, mentally ill father threatened his children's lives on a daily basis. Jim McCoy called his depressions and delusions "crocodiles." He feared they would devour him as they had his mother. He wasn't the only one who feared the invisible crocodiles. 

The Crocodiles Will Arrive Later is a memoir of a childhood filled with horror and humor, cruelty and love. 

The McCoy family was haunted by what Jim called his “invisible crocodiles”: the depressions and delusions that pursued him as they had his mother before him, leading to alcoholism, drug abuse and a descent into madness. But Jim’s battle with his crocodiles wasn’t relentless --at least in the early days. There were times of love and laughter. And there was hope.

This hope came from a loving aunt, an award winning poet, who sometimes wrote fun poems to help bring light and laugher to her nieces and nephew. (Some of these poems are included in this book.) Hope came from two courageous nun teachers who confronted the darkness and from grandparents who stepped in at two critical junctures to make a major difference. It also came from an unlikely pair of celebrities – Cyril Ritchard and Davy Jones – who at different times inspired and encouraged Kathy to escape the horror and follow her dreams.

“The Crocodiles Will Arrive Later” is not a saga of toxic parenting, but a compassionate exploration of the truths behind the crocodiles and the importance of laughing between the pain as a survival tool.  It is also a story of letting go with love on the path to emotional freedom.

Kathy McCoy is an award-winning author, journalist, blogger and podcaster. She is also a psychotherapist specializing in work with those struggling to overcome childhood trauma and dysfunction.

She is the author of sixteen previous books including The Teenage Body Book, winner of the American Library Association's "Best Book for Young Adults" award and the critically acclaimed We Don't Talk Anymore: Healing After Parents and Their Adult Children Become Estranged. She also has written for many national magazines and has been a guest on a number national television shows including multiple appearances on "The Today Show" and "Oprah."

Currently, Dr. McCoy has a busy private psychotherapy practice and is also a mental health provider for two major telehealth companies. She is a contributing writer and blogger for PsychologyToday.com. Her own blog and podcast can be accessed through her website: www.drkathymccoy.com. Her podcast "Living Fully with Dr. Kathy McCoy", a 2019 "Best Choice" award winner from Woman's Day magazine, is available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and Podcastpedia.

She received her journalism degrees from Northwestern University, her Ph.D. in Human Behavior from Pacific Western University and her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University's Los Angeles campus. She lives in rural Arizona with her husband Bob Stover and four pampered cats.

Elizabeth McCoy, Kathy's beloved Aunt Molly, contributed the poetry to this memoir. She was an award-winning poet, television writer and civilian speechwriter for the Strategic Air Command. She died at the age of 86 in 2004. Her last poem, "Waiting", found on her desk after her death, is included in this book.