How We Healed

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.