How We Healed
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
2022 RED RIBBON WINNER Wishing Shelf Awards
2022 BEST BOOK AWARD FINALIST for American Book Fest
2023 SPEAK UP TALK RADIO FIREBIRD BOOK AWARDS WINNER
"A compelling family drama. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended." - The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
"An often vivid family saga, centered on a satisfyingly complex matriarch." - Kirkus Reviews
"This book did an excellent job of teaching essential life lessons." - OnlineBookClub Review
"An original, thought-provoking, memorable and poignant story of healing from emotional injuries."
- MBR (MidWest Book Review) Small Press Book Watch General Fiction
There is nothing ordinary about the journey we take in life, or the people in it. A tale of starting over and an unforgettable odyssey of healing.
How We Healed follows Drunetta Brown, an oppressed black housewife desperate to escape her drunkard husband and small-town southern life. After fleeing with her youngest children to New York City in 1957, she finds unlikely friendship with Sister Rose, a church secretary, and Miss "Raycie" Rayceen, a boisterous bar singer. These women prove to be the right friends at the right time as they help Drunetta navigate her journey of self-discovery. With a determination uncharacteristic of her time, Drunetta ultimately learns what's worth sacrificing—and, more importantly, what isn't—to secure her place in a changing world.
Customer Reviews
A true Gem! 5 Stars!
I couldn’t put it down!
How We Healed is a compelling, engaging, deep, and emotional tale of emergence from darkness, courage, resilience, self-awareness, and the power of understanding that “family” doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with blood.
Melody & Arric’s masterful writing creates of a depth in character introduction & description that made it so that I had a clear picture of the characters down to their distinct facial features and expressions. I could envision their personalities, hear their voices/accents, and I could even feel the rawness of their emotions.
This story - though filled with the both the internal and external struggles of not only Drunetta, but also of her blood family and of her new “chosen family” - has a warmth and hope to it that easily (and eagerly) carries the reader from one page to another wanting more. The wisdom shared from the author’s grandmother comes through clearly with poignant thoughts and revelations put forth in cleverly succinct, simple ways. “My complex ideas about religion and faith were reimagined by her simple acts of kindness.” (Ch.8, Ph.44)
These writers have no fear of tackling hard topics and are able to seamlessly work them into the story in an impactful and meaningful way. This book was so masterfully written that reading it unfolded like a film in my mind. It was incredible. I look forward to when “How We Healed” is made into a full length motion picture!
I couldn’t recommend it more highly!