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The Stories We Keep: A Novel of Motherhood, Mental Health & Hope Kindle Edition

by Shawna Holly (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 104 ratings
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Jenna Cartwright has run away from her family in a desperate bid to save—or end—her life.

Driven to despair by debilitating depression, loneliness, and anxiety, Jenna makes a panic-driven decision to leave her husband and young children behind.

Upon fleeing to her hometown of Asher, Alabama, Jenna searches for help from the generations of women she loves most. As she learns their long-held stories, Jenna struggles to untangle her own thoughts and emotions, while also grappling with the impossible decision of what comes next.

Can she find the strength and courage to return to her family, heal her soul, and form her own life-saving sisterhood? Or will she remain a hopeless runaway mother, trapped by a longing for an irreversible escape?

A heart-felt novel exploring motherhood, mental health, and the redeeming power of storytelling, sisterhood, and grace.

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"A touching novel of the importance of sharing the trials of motherhood. Holly excels at portraying the everyday frustrations of caregiving and the unique loneliness it can bring. Many mothers will identify with Jenna's plight and find solace in its message." —BookLife Reviews by Publisher's Weekly

"A lucid look at motherhood; immediately relatable. Aptly describes the chaos of raising children and the possibility of losing one's sense of self. A moving exploration of motherhood's pressures and expectations—one that any parent will find thought-provoking." —BlueInk Review

"Dramatically showcases how despair and loneliness can be relieved through connection with others. A touching, evocative depiction of the therapeutic imperative to share and support." —Kirkus Reviews

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  1. Print length
    281 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    June 27, 2023
  5. File size
    1682 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

a highway with yellow lines. Quoted excerpt from BlueInk Review of The Stories We Keep
partial view of a toddler's feet, standing, next to baby blanket. Words read, "A depressed mom,"
shadow of hands through cloth. Words read, "lonely and isolated,"
hand on steering wheel. Words read, "runs for her life"
fire in fireplace. Words read, "in search of hope."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A touching novel of the importance of sharing the trials of motherhood. Holly excels at portraying the everyday frustrations of caregiving and the unique loneliness it can bring. Many mothers will identify with Jenna's plight and find solace in its message." —BookLife Reviews by Publisher's Weekly

"A lucid look at motherhood; immediately relatable. Aptly describes the chaos of raising children and the possibility of losing one's sense of self. A moving exploration of motherhood's pressures and expectations—one that any parent will find thought-provoking." —BlueInk Review

"Dramatically showcases how despair and loneliness can be relieved through connection with others. A touching, evocative depiction of the therapeutic imperative to share and support." —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Shawna Holly lives outside San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and three young kids. The Stories We Keep is her debut novel. Prior to venturing into fiction writing, she wrote a hyper-local blog focused on family-friendly activities, events, and small businesses in the Texas Hill Country. She is also founder of a 2,000+ member Facebook group, aimed at helping local women make new friends, network, and grow in-person connections. When not supporting clients of her boutique web design agency or writing, she can likely be found napping, over-caffeinating, taxiing her kids around town, procrastinating, or cheering at the baseball field. Keep in touch at shawnaholly.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BY4R6WLK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Three Sparrows Publishing (June 27, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 27, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1682 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 281 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 104 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Shawna Holly

Shawna Holly

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Shawna Holly lives outside San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and three young kids. The Stories We Keep is her debut novel.

Prior to venturing into fiction writing, she wrote a hyper-local blog focused on family-friendly activities, events, and small businesses in the Texas Hill Country.

She is also founder of a 2,000+ member Facebook group, aimed at helping local women make new friends, network, and grow in-person connections.

When not supporting clients of her boutique web design agency or writing, she can likely be found napping, over-caffeinating, taxiing her kids around town, procrastinating, or cheering at the baseball field.

Keep in touch at shawnaholly.com.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
104 global ratings
Honesty for the lives mom’s live!
5 Stars
Honesty for the lives mom’s live!
So refreshing to read a book that paints an honest picture of the struggles, that moms and women have to do and bee all things to everyone today. There’s some thing that just about everybody can relate to on some level in this book. A great reminder that we are not alone in our struggles and feelings (& that all feelings are important and valid- good or bad), and we all need our tribe to lean on and lift! Read it and tell your “sisters” about it! ❤️📖 Quick read while traveling for me this week!
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Top reviews from the United States

writergal
5.0 out of 5 stars Importance of friendship and community for women
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book! Seriously a 10 out of 5 Stars. Great debut by Shawna Holly!

The Stories We Keep focuses on the importance of friendship and community and sharing your story with people you care about. The author, Shawna Holly has used her experience focusing on family-friendly activities and events and helping local women make new friends, network and grow their in-person connections to write about what happens when a person is drowning from lack of community. I love this, as I run a non-profit that helps moms that have children with special needs and complex medical conditions - so I completely emphasize and understand how difficult it can be for moms who feel overwhelmed and alone.

This is a story about women, about the struggles a mother faces and how life changing it becomes when we support each other. But at the core, it's about staying in relationship, growing your tribe or women and making sure that you share your stories and listen to the previous generation share their stories as well.

If you've ever struggled or felt like you've lost your identity since having children- this is the book for you. If you like books about women and women helping and encouraging other women, this is for you. I highly recommend it. This is a book that will evoke feelings inside, make you laugh, cry and remember "when" as well as challenge you to improve your community and make sure you're sharing your story.
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Tracy O'Donnell
4.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt and Genuine Stories Women hold
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023
"The Stories we Keep" by Shawna Holly is a powerful and emotional novel that explores the experiences and hidden stories of women. It centers around the main character, Jenna Cartwright, who goes on a journey of self-discovery, enlightenment, and eventual understanding. The book delves into the silent turmoil, struggle, and strength inherent in many women's lives.

The story begins as Jenna panics, leaves her family and instinctively runs to her hometown of Asher, Alabama. Her return to her hometown becomes a source of solace and support, where she finds tears, laughter, weakness and strength. This return home acts as a catalyst for Jenna's personal growth and allows her to confront her own story as well as develop an appreciation for those women that shaped her earlier years.

The novel emphasizes the importance of sharing our stories and breaking the silence that often surrounds women's experiences. Through Jenna's journey, the book highlights the commonality of women's experiences and the potential for healing and empowerment that comes from opening up and connecting with others.

This book resonated deeply with me and touched on personal chords. It was a prompt to reflect on my own experiences and question why women often keep their stories hidden. The emotional impact of the book has lingered with me long after I finished reading it, leaving a lasting impression on my heart.
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Justin
5.0 out of 5 stars The Stories We Keep
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
Great job Shawna! This book was just a hug for the soul and so relatable. I can’t wait to meet with you at our book club at the end of February.
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Pamela Grable
5.0 out of 5 stars Emotionally Deep and Identifiable
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
I highly recommend reading this book if you're a woman who has ever felt alone or less than. The storyline was smooth, the characters and their individual stories were told with wisdom, as well as a tangible level of acceptance that clearly demonstrated their emotional and spiritual growth. I enjoyed the friendships that developed, as well as those that continued to grow.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Secrets we keep about motherhood
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
I wish all mothers could read this book and find out they're not alone in feeling like a failure at this job and some days just want to drive off and leave it all. Although I'm in my mid 70s now I vividly remember days when I would cry in the shower in the morning, working full time, raising two sons, trying to be a good wife and thinking I couldn't cope wth it all another day. A good therapist helped me learn to ask for help from my husband and friends, but I felt like I was the only one struggling with what other women handled so easily - or so I thought! It would be wonderful if Bonnie's Place really existed for all mothers to seek the help and support they need. Shawna Holly has done a wonderful job showing what sharing their stories of motherhood can do to give strength to other women.
One person found this helpful
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Lacey
5.0 out of 5 stars Finished this book in 2 days.. A must read!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book really touched me in so many ways. I wished the author had published this a long time ago. It’s always good to know you’re not alone in this journey of being a mother. As I am a mother of 4, I for one have thought about driving far off with no real destination. Being a mother is beautiful but it can wear you down trying to handle it all. Especially if you don’t make time for yourself. This book is very touching and the reality of what motherhood is like. If you’re looking for a book that you will have a hard time putting down. Then look no more because this is it… I’m ready for the next books from this author!!
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Rachel
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
Interesting and fascinating story!! I will be looking forward to more books from this author.
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C. Lippenholz
5.0 out of 5 stars "Motherhood, Mental Health & Hope" is accurate subtitle
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
This story of a young mother will pull your heartstrings while making you cry, cheer, rage... all the emotions! If you have ever wanted to run away from the struggles of motherhood... this novel is for you. If you've ever felt alone in struggling as a wife, mother, daughter... this novel is for you. I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel, and immediately after finishing I knew I had to order a copy to support this debut author. If you enjoy women's fiction, order now. You won't regret it!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Every mum of young children should read this.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
A very accurate take on the struggles of an overwhelmed mum. There's not a mum I know that wouldn't contemplate for even a second running away when the house is chaotic.

This is a story about women, about the struggles a mother faces, about the empowering love when we support each other. It's about not being alone when we believe we have noone.

There's some great visual references. I salivated over the food, hummed to the songs mentioned and closed my eyes and pictured the town that was so vivid.
Loved the journal references too.

If you've ever struggled or felt like you've lost your identity since having children.
If you like books about friendship, women lifting up other women, this is for you. Read this. Go buy. Now.
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Susan Pearson
5.0 out of 5 stars Motherhood
Reviewed in Australia on March 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
What a wonderful book, uplifting and sad at the same time. The ending was unexpected and probably not reality but it didn't take away the message that we all need help.
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