For most people, canceling a few cards and losing some cash is the end of it. But for Jessamyn Lovell, losing her wallet was the beginning of a long and unsettling process to recover what was taken—her identity.

A thief stole Lovell's wallet in San Francisco five years ago, but it wasn't until 2011 that she learned someone had used the information within it to assume her identity and commit a series of petty crimes. Police identified the suspect who was using her identity as Erin Hart, and Lovell soon found out that the woman had been masquerading under her name while shoplifting, checking into hotels, and renting cars. To help cope with the shock and bring a measure of closure to the ordeal, Lovell decided to find Hart and document the journey in Dear Erin Hart.