Making Up Stories by Susan Myhre Hayes #historical #fiction #bookreview #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

 

Historical Fiction

Date Published: August 28, 2024

Publisher: Universum Press

 

All families have their secrets. How far will they go to keep them hidden?

 

Savannah Schaeffer believed she was protecting her daughter by keeping the dark truths of their family’s secrets. Now, facing her imminent mortality, Savannah realizes her efforts may have caused more harm than good. With little time to waste, she finds a way to work around her inability to speak the truth. She prepares a scavenger hunt to reveal the secrets of her past that she had withheld from her daughter, Chloe.

The scavenger hunt will lead Chloe to two explosive journals—her great-grandmother’s and her grandfather’s—to reveal how intergenerational trauma impacted Savannah’s life and why she kept it secret. Chloe also has plans for the final week of her mother's life. She has promised to honor her mother's wish for a peaceful passing.

A palliative care physician, Chloe is ready from a medical standpoint but feels unprepared personally. She has called off her engagement at her mother's request and is now second-guessing her decision. She also wants to understand her mother's choice never to marry.

 

Making Up Stories: A Novel tells the story of family secrets and explores a mother's and daughter's desire to break free from intergenerational trauma. It's a story about their love for each other and the sacrifices they're willing to make for each other. Complex characters and situations raise profound, sometimes unanswerable questions about family, life's gray areas, and the promise of hope.

Review

This was an inspirational story. It gives realistic details of life during the time and adds just the right amount of drama to keep the reader flipping pages.

This is the kind of character-driven book many first novelists hope to write and few achieve.

A beautiful read with so much history included as well as relevant details about life.

About the Author

Susan has had many successful careers in philanthropy, public relations and education, but when she wrote the book, Peace in the Puzzle: Becoming Your Intended Self, she found her true purpose. Utilizing the material in her book and her personal experience, she is passionate about supporting both individuals and groups become who they were born to be.

Susan’s coaching is tailored to each person’s unique needs, and each group presentation is crafted to align with the interests and needs of each specific audience.

Through compelling stories, she engages individuals and groups by taking them through her journey to find purpose, shares the tools she developed and encourages them to do the same.

 

Contact Link

Website

 

Purchase Link

Amazon