Mother of Dwyane Wade Chronicles Her Journey from Incarceration to Congregation

COOK COUNTY, IL -The first time Jolinda Wade attended a college basketball game to cheer for her son, future NBA legend and Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, she was a mere three days out of prison. For Dwyane Wade, getting his mom back was the spark that ignited an incredible March Madness run.

Jolinda Wade candidly speaks about her life’s many struggles because she feels her story can serve as inspiration to others to persevere in the face of hardships, and to find support in family, community, and a higher power.

Conquering Me: A Memoir Of Courage, Faith, And Transformation (2026, Indie Books International) by Jolinda Wade, with a foreword by Dwyane Wade, chronicles a profound journey from considerable adversity to personal redemption.

“This isn’t a story wrapped in a bow. It’s raw. It’s detailed. It’s honest. But that’s exactly why it matters,” Dwyane Wade said. “Because someone out there needs to know that redemption is real. That healing is possible. That your past doesn’t disqualify you from purpose.”

Throughout her story Jolinda Wade–now a pastor who has an Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism–shares her harrowing journey, marked by paralyzing fear but sustained by fierce maternal love and an unyielding connection to faith.

Jolinda Wade’s narrative chronicles a tumultuous life beginning on Chicago’s South Side, marked by poverty and her mother’s alcoholism, leading to her own substance abuse, teen motherhood, and a cycle of heroin addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. Despite these lows, her innate maternal instinct and faith persisted until a spiritual awakening prompted a commitment to sobriety and personal agency, including willingly turning herself in and serving time for an old warrant as part of her redemption.

Post-incarceration, Jolinda Wade underwent a “renaissance,” earning her GED, pursuing pastoral training, and founding a ministry where her leadership, informed by her life experience, focuses on marginalized communities, emphasizing overcoming fear, personal responsibility, the power of choice, and finding self-worth through faith.

“Fear sucks the life right out of us. It takes our power from us, crushes our belief system,”  Jolinda Wade says in the book. “Fear controls when we laugh, whom we laugh with, and whom we love. When we are in fear, we are not of sound mind. Fear is the mind killer.”

For Dwyane Wade, his mother’s journey hasn’t always been easy to process, but he remains her biggest fan and supporter, often referring to her as his personal hero.

“My mom has enhanced my life in ways I’m still learning to name. She’s taught me about real love, real care, real strength,” said Dwyane Wade. “She is, without question, the hero of her story. And I couldn’t be prouder to call her Mom.”

About Indie Books International

Indie Books International (www.indiebooksintl.com) was founded in 2014 in Oceanside, California by two best-selling business authors. Since then, the company has released more than 200 titles. Similar to indie film companies and indie music labels, the mission of Indie Books International is to serve as an independent publishing alternative to help thought leaders create impact and influence.

Contact

Henry DeVries

henry@indiebooksintl.com

619-540-3031