Shot through with hope, purpose and an unflinching love, it’s a story that must be read.” —Newsweek
Award-winning columnist and author David Magee addresses his poignant story to all those who will benefit from better understanding substance misuse so that his hard-earned wisdom can save others from the fate of his late son, William.
The last time David Magee saw his son alive, William told him to write their family’s story in the hopes of helping others. Days later, David found William dead from an accidental drug overdose.
Now, in a memoir suggestive of Augusten Burroughs meets Glennon Doyle, award-winning columnist and author David Magee answers his son’s wish with a compelling, heartbreaking, and impossible to put down book that speaks to every individual and family.
With honesty and heart, Magee shares his family’s intergenerational struggle with substance abuse and mental health issues, as well as his own reckoning with family secrets—confronting the dark truth about the adoptive parents who raised him and a decades-long search for identity. He wrestles with personal substance misuse that began at a young age and, as a father, he sees destructive patterns repeat and develop within his own children. While striving to find a truly authentic voice as a writer despite authoring nearly a dozen previous books, Magee ultimately understands that William had been right and their own family’s history is the story he needs to tell.
A poignant and uplifting message of hope translates unimaginable tragedy into an inspirational commitment to saving others, as David founded the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing at the University of Mississippi. His mission to share solutions to self-medication and addiction, particularly as it touches America’s high school and college students, emphasizes that William’s story is about much more than a tragic addiction—it’s an American story of a family broken by loss and remade with love.
Dear William inspires readers to find purpose, build resilience, and break the cycles that damage too many individuals and the people who love them. It’s a life-changing book revealing how voids can be filled, and peace—even profound, lasting happiness—is possible.
Review
Let me do a…kind of disclaimer. I have met David Magee…he probably does not even remember it. We met at Ole Miss. My husband and David were in the same pledge class at Sigma Nu and I was a Sigma Nu Little Sister…back in the day….way back in the day. But, when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. Let me say, my 5 star rating has nothing to do with our previous interactions. This book is outstanding on so many levels!
David Magee has had his share of troubles growing up. He comes clean in this memoir about his mistakes, his own alcohol use, and his family dynamics. Life tends to throw us curve balls. How we react to these curve balls is what it is all about. It took David a while to come to terms with everything which occurred in his life. But, it has made him stronger and wiser. And this comes out strong in this memoir.
This is a book everyone should read. It will open eyes and possibly help others in this situation. This book is expressive and must have been cathartic to write. Nothing can ever ease the pain of losing a child and you can feel the author’s pain and guilt all through this memoir. But, you can also feel purpose. The purpose to help someone else through his loss.
What an outstanding man William was. He had such a bright future. But life turned on its axis. Hopefully this tragedy will help someone else in trouble. If you know anyone which needs help and guidance, please reach out: Magee Center at Ole Miss
Need a life changing story you will not soon forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
What an absolute blast October was! Finally starting to open up more in the book community. A friend of mine and I headed to Novel in Memphis to meet…non other than Elin Hilderbrand. She is amazing!
It was also our annual family pumpkin carving. My husband thinks he is the best…uh…no! But we have a blast!
Now on the the Escapes
This month I included all of my books, Audible and physically reading.
I am listening to a ton of books since I am driving so much. I am knocking out a lot on my TBR!
Set during the heroism and heartbreak of World War I, and in an occupied France in an alternative timeline, Sarah Adlakha’s Midnight on the Marne explores the responsibilities love lays on us and the rippling impact of our choices.
Set during the heroism and heartbreak of World War I, and in an occupied France in an alternative timeline, Sarah Adlakha’s Midnight on the Marne explores the responsibilities love lays on us and the rippling impact of our choices.
American solider George Mountcastle feels an instant connection to Marcelle Fournier, a young nurse and secret French spy. But in times of war, love must wait. Soon, George and his best friend Philip are fighting for their lives during the Second Battle of the Marne during which George stops Philip from a brave act that would have won the battle at the cost of his own life.
Germany has won the war—and Philip can’t shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong. After escaping from a German POW camp along with Philip and Marcelle’s twin sister Rosalie, George and Marcelle start a new life and family together, finding love and joy where they can in a brutally occupied France.
Years pass, and tragedy strikes. George wakes up back in 1918, knowing that he must make different choices for the greater good. Playing with time is a tricky thing, though. If he chooses to change the course of history on this pivotal battlefield, he will surely change his own future—and perhaps not for the better.
About The Author:
Sarah Adlakha is a native of Chicago and a practicing psychiatrist who now lives along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi with her husband and their three daughters. She Wouldn’t Change a Thing is her first novel.
Fan Club : A Novel Erin Mayer On Sale Date: October 26, 2021 9780778311591 Trade Paperback $16.99 USD 320 pages
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In this raucous psychological thriller, a disillusioned millennial joins a cliquey fan club, only to discover that the group is bound together by something darker than devotion. Day after day our narrator searches for meaning beyond her vacuous job at a women’s lifestyle website – entering text into a computer system while she watches their beauty editor unwrap box after box of perfectly packaged bits of happiness. Then, one night at a dive bar, she hears a message in the newest single by international pop-star Adriana Argento, and she is struck. Soon she loses herself to the online fandom, a community whose members feverishly track Adriana’s every move. When a colleague notices her obsession, she’s invited to join an enigmatic group of adult Adriana superfans who call themselves the Ivies and worship her music in witchy, candlelit listening parties. As the narrator becomes more entrenched in the group, she gets closer to uncovering the sinister secrets that bind them together – while simultaneously losing her grip on reality. With caustic wit and hypnotic writing, this unsparingly critical thrill ride through millennial life examines all that is wrong in our celebrity-obsessed internet age and how easy it is to lose yourself in it.
About the author
Erin Mayer is a freelance writer and editor based in Maine. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Man Repeller, Literary Hub, and others. She was previously an associate fashion and beauty editor at Bustle.com.
I’m outside for a cumulative ten minutes each day before work. Five to walk from my apartment building to the subway, another five to go from the subway to the anemic obelisk that houses my office. I try to breathe as deeply as I can in those minutes, because I never know how long it will be until I take fresh air into my lungs again. Not that the city air is all that fresh, tinged with the sharp stench of old garbage, pollution’s metallic swirl. But it beats the stale oxygen of the office, already filtered through distant respiratory systems. Sometimes, during slow moments at my desk, I inhale and try to imagine those other nostrils and lungs that have already processed this same air. I’m not sure how it works in reality, any knowledge I once had of the intricacies of breathing having been long ago discarded by more useful information, but the image comforts me. Usually, I picture a middle-aged man with greying temples, a fringe of visible nose hair, and a coffee stain on the collar of his baby blue button-down. He looks nothing and everything like my father. An every-father, if you will.
My office is populated by dyed-blonde or pierced brunette women in their mid-to-late twenties and early thirties. The occasional man, just a touch older than most of the women, but still young enough to give off the faint impression that he DJs at Meatpacking nightclubs for extra cash on the weekends.
We are the new corporate Americans, the offspring of the grey-templed men. We wear tastefully ripped jeans and cozy sweaters to the office instead of blazers and trousers. Display a tattoo here and there—our supervisors don’t mind; in fact, they have the most ink. We eat yogurt for breakfast, work through lunch, leave the office at six if we’re lucky, arriving home with just enough time to order dinner from an app and watch two or three hours of Netflix before collapsing into bed from exhaustion we haven’t earned. Exhaustion that lives in the brain, not the body, and cannot be relieved by a mere eight hours of sleep.
Nobody understands exactly what it is we do here, and neither do we. I push through revolving glass door, run my wallet over the card reader, which beeps as my ID scans through the stiff leather, and half-wave in the direction of the uniformed security guard behind the desk, whose face my eyes never quite reach so I can’t tell you what he looks like. He’s just one of the many set-pieces staging the scene of my days.
The elevator ride to the eleventh floor is long enough to skim one-third of a longform article on my phone. I barely register what it’s about, something loosely political, or who is standing next to me in the cramped elevator.
When the doors slide open on eleven, we both get off.
…
In the dim eleventh-floor lobby, a humming neon light shaping the company logo assaults my sleep-swollen eyes like the prick of a dozen tiny needles. Today, a small section has burned out, creating a skip in the letter w. Below the logo is a tufted cerulean velvet couch where guests wait to be welcomed. To the left there’s a mirrored wall reflecting the vestibule; people sometimes pause there to take photos on the way to and from the office, usually on the Friday afternoon before a long weekend. I see the photos later while scrolling through my various feeds at home in bed. They hit me one after another like shots of tequila: See ya Tuesday! *margarita emoji* Peace out for the long weekend! *palm tree emoji* Byeeeeee! *peace sign emoji.*
She steps in front of me, my elevator companion. Black Rag & Bone ankle boots gleaming, blade-tipped pixie cut grazing her ears. Her neck piercing taunts me, those winking silver balls on either side of her spine. She’s Lexi O’ Connell, the website’s senior editor. She walks ahead with her head angled down, thumb working her phone’s keyboard, and doesn’t look up as she shoves the interior door open, palm to the glass.
I trip over the back of one clunky winter boot with the other as I speed up, considering whether to call out for her attention. It’s what a good web producer, one who is eager to move on from the endless drudgery of copy-pasting and resizing and into the slightly more thrilling drudgery of writing and rewriting, would do.
By the time I regain my footing, I come face-to-face with the smear of her handprint as the door glides shut in front of me.
Monday.
…
I work at a website.
It’s like most other websites; we publish content, mostly articles: news stories, essays, interviews, glossed over with the polished opalescent sheen of commercialized feminism. The occasional quiz, video, or photoshoot rounds out our offerings. This is how websites work in the age of ad revenue: Each provides a slightly varied selection of mindless entertainment, news updates, and watered-down hot takes about everything from climate change to plus size fashion, hawking their wares on the digital marketplace, leaving The Reader to wander drunkenly through the bazaar, wielding her cursor like an Amex. You can find everything you’d want to read in one place online, dozens of times over. The algorithms have erased choice. Search engines and social media platforms, they know what you want before you do.
As a web producer, my job is to input article text into the website’s proprietary content management system, or CMS. I’m a digitized high school janitor; I clean up the small messes, the litter that misses the rim of the garbage can. I make sure the links are working and the images are high resolution. When anything bigger comes up, it goes to an editor or IT. I’m an expert in nothing, a master of the miniscule fixes.
There are five of us who produce for the entire website, each handling about 20 articles a day. We sit at a long grey table on display at the very center of the open office, surrounded on all sides by editors and writers.
The web producers’ bullpen, Lexi calls it.
The light fixture above the table buzzes loudly like a nest of bees is trapped inside the fluorescent tubing. I drop my bag on the floor and take a seat, shedding my coat like a layer of skin. My chair faces the beauty editor’s desk, the cruelest seat in the house. All day long, I watch Charlotte Miller receive package after package stuffed with pastel tissue paper. Inside those packages: lipstick, foundation, perfume, happiness. A thousand simulacrums of Christmas morning spread across the two-hundred and sixty-one workdays of the year. She has piled the trappings of Brooklyn hipsterdom on top of her blonde, big-toothed, prettiness. Wire-frame glasses, a tattoo of a constellation on her inner left forearm, a rose gold nose ring. She seems Texan, but she’s actually from some wholesome upper Midwestern state, I can never remember which one. Right now, she applies red lipstick from a warm golden tube in the flat gleam of the golden mirror next to her monitor. Everything about her is color-coordinated.
I open my laptop. The screen blinks twice and prompts me for my password. I type it in, and the CMS appears, open to where I left it when I signed off the previous evening. Our CMS is called LIZZIE. There’s a rumor that it was named after Lizzie Borden, christened during the pre-launch party when the tech team pounded too many shots after they finished coding. As in, “Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother forty whacks.” Lizzie Borden rebranded in the 21st century as a symbol of righteous feminine anger. LIZZIE, my best friend, my closest confidant. She’s an equally comforting and infuriating presence, constant in her bland attention. She gazes at me, always emotionless, saying nothing as she watches me teeter on the edge, fighting tears or trying not to doze at my desk or simply staring, in search of answers she cannot provide.
My eyes droop in their sockets as I scan the articles that were submitted before I arrived this morning. The whites threaten to turn liquid and splash onto my keyboard, pool between the keys and jiggle like eggs minus the yolks. Thinking of this causes a tiny laugh to slip out from between my clenched lips. Charlotte slides the cap onto her lipstick, glares at me over the lip of the mirror.
“Morning.”
That’s Tom, the only male web producer, who sits across and slightly left of me, keeping my view of Charlotte’s towering wonderland of boxes and bags clear. He’s four years older than me, twenty-eight, but the plush chipmunk curve of his cheeks makes him appear much younger, like he’s about to graduate high school. He’s cute, though, in the way of a movie star who always gets cast as the geek in teen comedies. Definitely hot but dress him down in an argyle sweater and glasses and he could be a Hollywood nerd. I’ve always wanted to ask him why he works here, doing this. There isn’t really a web producer archetype. We’re all different, a true island of misfit toys.
But if there is a type, Tom doesn’t fit it. He seems smart and driven. He’s consistently the only person who attends company book club meetings having read that month’s selection from cover to cover. I’ve never asked him why he works here because we don’t talk much. No one in our office talks much. Not out loud, anyway. We communicate through a private Morse code, fingers dancing on keys, expressions scanned and evaluated from a distance.
Sometimes I think about flirting with Tom, for something to do, but he wears a wedding ring. Not that I care about his wife; it’s more the fear of rebuff and rejection, of hearing the low-voiced Sorry, I’m married, that stops me. He usually sails in a few minutes after I do, smelling like his bodega coffee and the egg sandwich he carefully unwraps and eats at his desk. He nods in my direction. Morning is the only word we’ve exchanged the entire time I’ve worked here, which is coming up on a year in January. It’s not even a greeting, merely a statement of fact. It is morning and we’re both here. Again.
Three hundred and sixty-five days lost to the hum and twitch and click. I can’t seem to remember how I got here. It all feels like a dream. The mundane kind, full of banal details, but something slightly off about it all. I don’t remember applying for the job, or interviewing. One day, an offer letter appeared in my inbox and I signed.
And here I am. Day after day, I wait for someone to need me. I open articles. I tweak the formatting, check the links, correct the occasional typo that catches my eye. It isn’t really my job to copy edit, or even to read closely, but sometimes I notice things, grammatical errors or awkward phrasing, and I then can’t not notice them; I have to put them right or else they nag like a papercut on the soft webbing connecting two fingers. The brain wants to be useful. It craves activity, even after almost three hundred and sixty-five days of operating at its lowest frequency.
I open emails. I download attachments. I insert numbers into spreadsheets. I email those spreadsheets to Lexi and my direct boss, Ashley, who manages the homepage.
It’s 1971 in Connecticut, and sixteen-year-old Sharon’s parents think that, because she’s a girl, she should become a clerical office worker after high school and live at home until she marries and has a family. But Sharon wants to join the hippies and be part of the changing society, so she leaves home and heads to California.
Upon arriving in California, Sharon is thrown into an adult world for which she is unprepared, and she embarks on a precarious journey amid the 1970s counterculture. On her various adventures across the country and while living on a commune, with friends and lovers filtering in and out of her life, she realizes she must learn quickly in order to survive—as well as figure out a way to reconcile her developing spirituality with her Catholic upbringing.
In this colorful memoir, Sharon reflects upon the changes that reshaped her during the 1970s women’s movement, and how they have transformed society’s expectations for girls and women today—and, through it all, shares moments of triumph, joy, love, and awakening.
Review
At 16, Sharon has had enough. She is not cut out to be what her parents expect her to be. So, she leaves and heads out to California. California is not exactly what she thought it would be. And she has to make some drastic decisions and drastic mistakes.
This is a story which had me guessing my choices…you mean I could run off and live wild and free. It never occurred to me. I honestly do not see how this author survived. I love that she took her experiences and made herself so much better. It is just not in my DNA not to plan. I am envious of her ability to just roll with it! And believe me…Sharon rolled with everything! I totally understand why she left her home and it worked out for her in the end. But I could not help but feel sorry for her parents. They tried their best. But Sharon had to make her own way. And she did a great job!
This is a unique coming of age memoir not to be missed. It is full of sex, drugs and rock and roll! GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!
I received this audiobook for a honest review.
About The Author: Sharon Dukett has been a computer programmer, deputy director in state government, cocktail waitress, and project manager (PMP certified), and she has designed and embroidered handmade clothing. She travels extensively using loyalty points and avoiding tourist traps. When she is home, she and her husband live in central Connecticut in a house he built that overlooks the Connecticut River–the house where they raised their family. When not writing or blogging, she is reading, skiing, biking, golfing, spending time with family and friends, creating clutter, and committing to more activities than she probably should. She loves reading memoir from a variety of backgrounds–to learn how others feel, experience life, and deal with their struggles. No Rules is her debut memoir. https://sharondukett.com/
Enchanting, mysterious, and deeply romantic, The Lighthouse follows a young woman’s breathtaking journey far from home to discover where she truly belongs.
Something strange is happening in Seabrook. The town’s lighthouse – dormant for over 30 years and famously haunted – has inexplicably started shining, and its mysterious glow is sparking feverish gossip throughout the spooked community.
Amy Tucker is only visiting for the night and has no plans to get caught up in the hysteria, but that changes when she meets Ryan, the loyal, hard-working son of a ranch owner who lives on the outskirts of town.
Their chance encounter turns into an unforgettable weekend, and against the backdrop of the lighthouse-obsessed town, the two of them forge a deep connection, opening their hearts, baring their souls, and revealing secrets long kept hidden.
But as they grow closer, and as the lighthouse glows ever brighter, a startling discovery about Ryan leaves Amy questioning everything she thought she knew. To uncover the truth about her new friend, Amy will need to enter Seabrook’s ominous tower, where waiting inside she will not only find the reason why fate has brought them together…but a shocking secret that will change the course of their lives forever.
Review
Amy is struggling with the death of her mother. And Her dad just doesn’t know how to deal with it. So, they head out for a short trip hoping to reconnect. Amy has a chance encounter with Ryan and it changes her whole world!
Ryan is an all around good guy! He is struggling to keep the family ranch going after his father’s stroke. It is so much harder than he ever thought possible. He absolutely stole my heart. And Amy is so sad and in desperate need for help that Ryan ends up being her saving grace in more ways than one!
I am all over the place about this novel. I swear…I cried, I laughed and I wanted to throw something. I am still so attached to all these characters! Ryan is my absolute favorite…and I do not want to give anything away…but you better have tissues ready!
The narrator, Braden Wright, is one of my all time favorites. He does an excellent job with all the voices and emotions.
Need a good story which gives you all the feels…THIS IS IT! GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
In the newest installment of New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey’s Peachtree Bluff series, three generations of the Murphy women must come together when a hurricane threatens to destroy their hometown—and the holiday season in the process.
When the Murphy women are in trouble, they always know they can turn to their mother, Ansley. So when eldest daughter Caroline and her husband, James, announce they are divorcing—and fifteen-year-old daughter Vivi acts out in response—Caroline, at her wits end, can’t think of anything to do besides leave her with Ansley in Peachtree Bluff for the holidays. After all, how much trouble can one teenager get into on a tiny island?
Quite a lot, as it turns out.
As the “storm of the century” heads toward Peachtree Bluff, Ansley and her husband, Jack, with Vivi in tow, are grateful they’re planning to leave for the trip of a lifetime. But Vivi’s recklessness forces the trio to shelter in place during the worst hurricane Peachtree has ever seen. With no power, no provisions, and the water rising, the circumstances become dire very quickly…and the Murphy sisters, who evacuated to New York, soon realize it’s up to them to conduct a rescue mission. With the bridges closed and no way to access Peachtree Bluff by land or air, they set sail on Caroline’s boat, The Starlite Sisters, determined to rebuild their beloved town—as well as their family.
In “pitch perfect tones” (Publishers Weekly) and written with her signature Southern charm, New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey explores the magic of Christmas, the power of forgiveness, and the importance of family in a tale that reminds us that, no matter the circumstances, home is always where we belong—especially during the holidays.
Review
A big storm is headed to Peachtree Bluff just as Ansley and Jack are about to head out for the trip of a lifetime. Their 15 year old granddaughter, Vivi, decides to prove a point and ends up lost in the storm. This takes the whole family, far and wide, to help bring her home and to fix the town up as good as new!
This story had a rough start for me. Luckily, I trust this author and knew it was going to turn out to be a good read! I highly recommend you read the other books in this series so you can keep up with all the characters which are in the first part of the book. Kristy Harvey brings everyone in for the holidays and it can be overwhelming to keep up with who is who and what is what. But, like any good author, she turns this into an amazing story. I love how all the characters are moved around like chess pieces! Very well done!
I enjoyed the tension brought on by the storm. It created such a wonderful twist to a Christmas story. It helped bring the family together and show what Christmas is all about!
Need a good Christmas story with intensity and wonderful family…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
It’s Pittsburgh, 1910—the golden age of steel in the land of opportunity. Eastern European immigrants Janos and Karina Kovac should be prospering, but their American dream is fading faster than the colors on the sun-drenched flag of their adopted country. Janos is exhausted from a decade of twelve-hour shifts, seven days per week, at the local mill. Karina, meanwhile, thinks she has found an escape from their run-down ethnic neighborhood in the modern home of a mill manager—until she discovers she is expected to perform the duties of both housekeeper and mistress. Though she resents her employer’s advances, they are more tolerable than being groped by drunks at the town’s boarding house.
When Janos witnesses a gruesome accident at his furnace on the same day Karina learns she will lose her job, the Kovac family begins to unravel. Janos learns there are people at the mill who pose a greater risk to his life than the work itself, while Karina—panicked by the thought of returning to work at the boarding house—becomes unhinged and wreaks a path of destruction so wide that her children are swept up in the storm. In the aftermath, Janos must rebuild his shattered family with the help of an unlikely ally.
Impeccably researched and deeply human, Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ashdelivers a timeless message about mental illness while paying tribute to the sacrifices America’s immigrant ancestors made.
Review
Janos and Karina are struggling to survive. Janos works in the steel mill and Karina is a maid for one of the mill supervisors. They are chasing the American dream. But the long, dangerous hours and little pay are taking their toll. Karina decides she has had enough and she starts chasing something else. This changes the course of so many lives.
This is a very good story with just a few minor problems. The conversations are a bit stilted or canned. But, the characters and the rich history will keep you reading and enjoying so much of this story.
Karina is a character I despised, then felt sorry for. Janos is the good guy…the really good guy. Pole is hardworking and he stole my heart. There are several more I could talk about but these are the three which make such a huge impression. Add in the setting of the steel mills and the coal mines of Pennsylvania and you have a wonderful story you will not soon forget!
Need a book with tons of history and great characters…This is it! Grab your copy today!
Instagram Sensation Illuminates the Unifying Experience of Pregnancy in Heartfelt New Picture Book
(GASTONIA, N.C.) May 2021 – Good & True is pleased to announce the October release of I Grew With You, the first picture book from blogger and Instagram sensation Sarah Molitor, the creative force behind @modernfarmhousefamily. Inspired by her own six pregnancies, I Grew With You vividly illustrates the beauty of childbearing and the miracle of life.
A mother of six boys, Molitor shares the daily ups and downs of family life with her more than 244,000 Instagram followers. Her role as wife and mother has shaped her more than any other title she has, inspiring her to write I Grew With You (October 2021; ISBN 9781737079620) by mining from her own experience of bringing six children into the world.
As the story progresses month by month, I Grew With You spotlights every heartfelt and funny moment throughout pregnancy, from conception to bringing baby home. Rich in diversity, it showcases women of all ethnicities, shapes and sizes as they share in the unifying experience that is pregnancy. “It’s an honor to work with Sarah, who has such an important message to share with children and parents,” says Brian Gallagher, Publisher, Good & True. “There are no other books I can think of that tell the journey of pregnancy in its entirety and tie it to motherhood in such an endearing way. I’m thrilled that she’s chosen Good & True to partner with her on this project.”
Children will be able to read about the sweet moments, exciting moments, funny moments and take-your-breath-away moments that their own mothers felt while bringing them into the world, leaving both mother and child with a deepened sense of love and bonding. “My desire for I Grew With You is for parents and kids alike to be moved by the fact that all women experience and show pregnancy differently, yet still go through the same life-changing process to bring children into the world,” says Molitor. “As they read this book together, I hope it’s a way for kids to begin to understand the beauty of pregnancy and the bond that develops between a mother and her child.”
Publication Date: October 26, 2021 Author/Illustrator: Sarah Molitor/ Anastasia Sivura Imprint: Good & True Media ISBN: 9781737079620 Price: $12.95 Format: Hardcover Page Count: 24 Ages: 0-3
Review
This is a wonderful children’s book! Perfect for brothers or sisters expecting another sibling. It helps them understand what is actually going on. It also shows the wonderful bond between mother and child and how it grows.
The illustrations are so beautiful. They truly depict what the author is visualizing. Great book and perfect gift for an expectant mom!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
About Sarah Molitor
Sarah is most notably known as “mommy” to her six boys. Her role as wife and mother has shaped her more than any other title she has acquired. Along with raising her children, she also homeschools them full time. Prior to starting a family, Sarah earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Linfield University. As a registered nurse her passion was and still is helping others. Although no longer working as a nurse, Sarah has translated that passion into a different avenue – social media. She is the creative force behind @modernfarmhousefamily where she encourages, challenges and inspires her community of over 218K followers on a daily basis. For fun, Sarah considers herself a candy connoisseur, self-taught photographer, very amateur baker and if given spare time, usually chooses to read children’s books to her kids while keeping them entertained with her voice impressions. Sarah lives with her husband Tim and their growing family in Washington. I Grew With You is her first book.
Anastasia is an illustrator who creates wonderful illustrations where fascinating stories are intertwined with lightness and innocence. The artist works with different materials because she thinks that developing one’s skills and trying something new is absolutely important. Besides making beautiful illustrations she is a firm believer in interesting stories and ideas. Anastasia has a lot of projects which she would love to realize. She is based in California and married with two daughters. She has a dog as well. Nature and the ocean are her main sources of inspiration.
About Good & True Media
Good & True Media is the children’s book imprint of Good Will Publishers, Inc. Good & True publishes a boutique list of books, all of which are told upon a Christian foundation and aim to inspire children’s imaginations through works that promote classical virtues and wholesome examples of the moral life. For more information, visit http://www.goodandtruemedia.com.
Author Q&A
I Grew With You
By Sarah Molitor
What inspired you to write a book for children about the experience of pregnancy and childbirth?
The day I found out I was pregnant was also the day I had a meeting with the publisher to pitch ideas for my very first children’s book. I remember thinking to myself, “How cool would it be to write a book for children and mothers about the journey of pregnancy and how a baby grows?” And instantly the words I Grew With You came to mind. So it was truly inspired by finding out I was pregnant with our sixth child.
I also knew I wanted it to be a sweet story that a mother could read to her child that would be endearing to both of them. I know my boys are so excited to watch my tummy grow and this book was a way to let them in on all the ways a mommy and baby inside her grows as they anticipate the birth of the child.
Why did you decide to show the entire journey from conception to birth, instead of focusing on one aspect?
It’s so important to me that I acknowledge that life begins at conception. From the very beginning, your child was created specifically for you. And as each mother finds out that she is pregnant, the anticipation builds from those early moments no matter how long you carry your child. I believe the whole process of pregnancy all the way to delivery is important for seeing the miracle of life versus just focusing on one specific moment.
I also believe it brings out the joy (and often humor) from the moments and changes that each month brings throughout pregnancy. People love to see something from start to finish and I Grew With You allows for that!
The book also highlights a diverse group of women. Why was that an important focus for you as well?
As I was imagining this book, I was also imagining all the different mothers that could be touched by reading it to their little ones. Or just having it as their own keepsake. And I’m keenly aware that no two mothers are alike whether in look or personality or how they carry their child (and so much more). So diversity in the book was a very important thing for me to highlight. I want children to know how each mother is beautifully different during pregnancy. And I also want them to turn the page and suddenly say “hey, that mommy looks like you!” which allows for a depth of connection to the book and the story. In this book you will see nine different mothers which speaks to the diversity of motherhood and all women!
As mothers read this book to their children, how do you think it will encourage them?
I’m imagining the moments when mother’s first read this to their children and how special it will be. I believe it will encourage the mother in how incredible she is for the pregnancy(s) she has experienced and all the highs and not so highs she may have experienced. I believe she will feel more empowered and proud of being a part of the miracle of bringing life into the world. And I also believe it will create a unique bond between the mother and her child(ren) because they will get a glimpse into what mommy (and daddy) went through to bring them into the world. Overall I Grew With You gives a unique, special, humorous and beautiful view into the beginning of motherhood and this ultimately fosters a deeper connection between mother and child.
How could this book change someone’s opinion about pregnancy and childbirth?
First of all, I believe it will show the beauty of how life begins at conception and how much that child, from the very beginning, means to a mother. The excitement, the anticipation, the sharing in the news- all of it. But I also believe it will challenge people in their views of pregnancy and childbirth. If you have given birth, you know all the aches and pains and stretching and growing that happens. It’s not all glowing skin and easy peasy. This book gives a simple and sweet look into how the process of pregnancy changes the mother physically and emotionally just as much as the baby inside her grows and develops as well.
What advice do you have for parents as they start having discussions with their children about pregnancy, childbirth, starting a family, etc.?
I love having age-appropriate conversations about these topics with my children as well as an open line of communication that they can ask us whatever questions they will have and we will always give them an honest answer. My advice would be to always communicate in whatever way feels most comfortable for your family and allow children to be involved in knowing the process and how they are a unique part of that too.
This answer may look different at different stages but it’s so important that we include them in the process. When they are included, it allows them to feel a part of everything that is going on whether that’s announcing the pregnancy to family and friends or learning how the baby grows inside the mother each month and all the new developments that happen. And this gives children their own special bond with mommy and the new baby to be. The more children are involved, the more involved they want to be which is exciting for them and ultimately builds up the family unit in the best way.
Your publisher, Good & True, produces very family-friendly, faith-based content for children. Why was it important to you to partner with a publisher like that?
It is so important to me that we build a foundation for our children that’s filled with value! Value for the children and value for the parents as well. I always want to know that whatever I’m hearing, watching, seeing or reading is safe for the whole family and never brings up unexpected discomfort.
Good and True is committed to these same values and I wanted my book to align with a publisher who would prioritize this. I’m so thankful they do and it’s been evident through the whole process. Consumers will always know that content coming from Good and True is content they can trust for their families, their homes and whoever they share it with.
Ultimately, what do you hope parents and children take away from I Grew With You?
My ultimate hope is that families will read I Grew With You and walk away feeling a greater sense of family and love for each other. Also that parents and specifically mothers will feel a greater sense of pride in their families and the beauty of who each of them uniquely are. I hope this book will touch mothers of all ages and stages in a powerful way allowing them to remember the journey of pregnancy and all that they accomplished to have the family they do now. And that everyone would value the beauty and frailty of life and how much power and love one life can hold within them.
What other projects are you working on?
There are a couple things I am working on actually. First off, I am working on a second children’s book with Good and True. YAY! This one will be vastly different from I Grew With You. It will be a very playful, bright and colorful book filled with animals! And will talk about how important each person is to the world and how important it is to share our joy with others. I know it will be such a fun book for parents and children alike.
I am also working on a potential proposal for my first adult book. It’s still in the rough stages but my hope is that it will be an encouragement to women everywhere. I’m excited for both of these projects and looking forward to seeing them come to fruition.
Where can readers purchase a copy of I Grew With You?
Pre-orders are set to launch on Wednesday, July 14 (which we are VERY excited about). I Grew With You will be available to pre-order at goodandtruemedia.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com and anywhere books are sold. I Grew With You is set to officially release on October 26.
Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout explores the mysteries of marriage and the secrets we keep, as a former couple reckons with where they’ve come from—and what they’ve left behind.
“Elizabeth Strout is one of my very favorite writers, so the fact that Oh William!may well be my favorite of her books is a mathematical equation for joy. The depth, complexity, and love contained in these pages is a miraculous achievement.”—Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House
I would like to say a few things about my first husband, William.
Lucy Barton is a writer, but her ex-husband, William, remains a hard man to read. William, she confesses, has always been a mystery to me. Another mystery is why the two have remained connected after all these years. They just are.
So Lucy is both surprised and not surprised when William asks her to join him on a trip to investigate a recently uncovered family secret—one of those secrets that rearrange everything we think we know about the people closest to us. What happens next is nothing less than another example of what Hilary Mantel has called Elizabeth Strout’s “perfect attunement to the human condition.” There are fears and insecurities, simple joys and acts of tenderness, and revelations about affairs and other spouses, parents and their children. On every page of this exquisite novel we learn more about the quiet forces that hold us together—even after we’ve grown apart.
At the heart of this story is the indomitable voice of Lucy Barton, who offers a profound, lasting reflection on the very nature of existence. “This is the way of life,” Lucy says: “the many things we do not know until it is too late.”
Review
William is on a quest to find his long lost sister. He had no idea she existed and now he is determined to find her. William is a character we all know. He is a father, an unfaithful husband and a son who has been lied to. How he has handled all of this has not been great. He is human and he has made some mistakes. When he brings his ex wife, Lucy, along with him to Maine, it opens ups some old wounds along with some new ones!
William is someone in which half the time I want to hug and protect and the other half I want to pinch and say “watch your mouth!” Then there is Lucy. She has made mistakes in her life and she is learning to live with her decisions. Even though they have been divorced for quite a while and are now friends, these two still have lots of baggage.
No one does dysfunction like Elizabeth Strout. She takes the reader on a tour of therapy. She makes you, as a reader, examine your own life. Sometimes you are the victim and sometimes you are the aggressor. The first time I read a novel by this author, I was not a fan! However, I saved that novel and some of the underlined passages. And I have always come back for more! So, there is something about this author which makes such a huge impression. And this novel about William is one that opens your eyes to many issues between husbands, wives, children and mothers.
Need an emotional read you will not soon forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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