She Used to Be

"If you enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry, Mad Honey, or It Ends with Us, you will love She Used to Be." Sometimes, the answers you've spent years searching for are found in a single afternoon's conversation. At thirty-two, Leah Anderson is experiencing an identity crisis. Feeling powerless and unsure where her marriage, career, or friendships stand, she seeks solace from her Grandma Maddie, fully expecting to be placated with the usual array of biblical advice, which Gram, now in her nineties, is known for. Instead, she discovers that she doesn't know her grandma as well as she thought. As Maddie comes to see how powerless Leah feels, she decides to share her true life story with her granddaughter, including the years when every aspect of Maddie's life was dictated by men—first her cruel grandfather, then an undeserving man who stole her heart. Leah is the first person she's ever trusted with the intimate details of her experience, and while Leah thought Gram had led a simple, happy, uncomplicated life, she soon realizes that people's realities are made up of far more than meets the eye. The question is, will Maddie's shocking revelations give Leah the courage she needs to mend her own life?