First published 2025
Melanie Shankle thought she knew how to handle teenage drama until her daughter Caroline hit sophomore year. Mean girls target Caroline with relentless cruelty, leaving her heartbroken and lost. Melanie tries to arm her daughter with strength and wisdom, but Caroline's pain triggers something deeper. The criticism and shame flooding back aren't just echoes of high school gossip. They come from Melanie's own mother, whose verbal abuse shaped decades of self-doubt. Melanie realizes she cannot teach Caroline to be a warrior while her own wounds remain open. She begins the hard work of breaking cycles that taught the women in her family to seek worth everywhere except in God's love. This journey forces Melanie to confront toxic family patterns and discover what it takes to heal generational damage. The book follows her path from wounded daughter to protective mother, fighting dragons both old and new.
Genres: contemporary, non-fiction, parenting, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, healing
224 pages · Hardcover · WaterBrook
Content warnings: abuse, emotional-abuse, mental-illness