The Space Inside

by Michelle Morrison

Can the echoes of a black hole help a mother and daughter rebuild their fractured bond after unimaginable loss?

When Joyce’s husband is killed, she’s left to navigate an uncharted emotional mourning a good man while grappling with the painful truth of a marriage that was falling apart. How do you grieve someone you were on the verge of leaving?

Her daughter Kaiya, raised attending protest marches, is devastated when her father is murdered—but her mother’s quiet grief feels like silence in the face of injustice. Her grief and anger intensify when her mother moves them across the country for a “fresh start.” The only good thing in her life is an internship at an astronomy lab where scientist Sangeeta Bhakti has made a stunning discovery.

Joyce and Kaiya experience visions after listening to Sangeeta’s recording of gravitational waves from a black hole, and amidst the destructive repercussions of those visions, Joyce fights to save her daughter and heal their heartbreak.

349 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

Writing has always been a part of Michelle's life and it was love of writing that led her to graduate magna cum laude with a degree in Professional Writing which she then used to write and edit technical manuals and reports for Los Alamos National Labs and Sandia National Labs. Needless to say, such writing left her craving something....juicier. After 8 historical romances and one historical fiction novel, she realized there was just as much to explore with characters from the modern world.

Michelle has always enjoyed telling deeply personal stories with characters who are flawed and complex but who grow and change through the course of the book. Her tenth book, The Space Inside, is an intimate and modern exploration of the chasm that grief causes a mother and daughter, and their reconciliation through an inexplicable message from outer space.

Reviews

[Olivia R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story engulfed me - heart, mind, and spirit. The three main characters are beautifully crafted and complex, with wounds, dreams, and flaws that are compelling and often relatable. My love for them deepened as they were pulled apart from each other and from their true selves by grief, death, racism and ignorance and rejoined by healing, connection, understanding, and love. And if this remarkable emotional journey in itself wasn’t enough, the story brings in the eerie, magical world of science mysticism, which gifts a new perspective of life, loss, and time. This story sings with the expansion and contraction, breaking and binding of the universe and of humanity itself. Even when drifting in the abstract, I never got lost and always felt safe in the journey, because Morrison’s powerful, clear, and accessible writing kept me grounded in here and now and in the lives of the lovable, imperfect characters. I highly recommend this book.

[Mihaela Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a haunting and emotionally charged exploration of grief, love, and the ties that bind us. The story skillfully intertwines the raw realities of human loss with the awe inspiring mysteries of the universe, using black hole echoes as both metaphor and narrative catalyst. Joyce and Kaiya’s fractured relationship is portrayed with heartbreaking honesty their anger, sorrow, and yearning for connection feel painfully real. The introduction of Sangeeta Bhakti’s groundbreaking astronomical research adds a brilliant, almost mystical layer, allowing the narrative to explore how grief can resonate across time and space.

[Jeffrey Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book awhile back I’m a Goodreads giveaway.

This book was BEAUTIFUL. It was incredibly powerful, relevant, important, and I could go on and on. Watching Kaiya, Joyce, and Sangeeta grow over the course of the novel was a great feeling and I would recommend this book to any and everyone. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book (:

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful and heart wrenching story of grief and loss and finding the way through. It was relatable on several levels—mom and daughter relationships, changing family dynamics, grief and trauma. I felt a personal connection to these characters, having lived through some of these experiences myself. I loved the different layers of the story, weaving together timely social issues, relationships, and a little magical realism to tie everything together. This one will linger for a while.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Space Inside was a book I stumbled upon, and I’m so glad I did. It tackles several heavy and important issues that are very relevant today, especially violence against African Americans. While I can never truly understand what that experience feels like, I thought the author did a great job showing perspectives from both people of color and non-people of color in a meaningful and thoughtful way.

The book also explores other difficult topics such as grief and self-harm. There were moments that felt strangely familiar, almost like I had seen a movie with a similar feeling before, even though I couldn’t place it. The author did an excellent job making the reader feel fully present in each moment, and I really appreciated the character development throughout the story.

I’m still not entirely sure how I felt about the supernatural element, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. Overall, I think this was a powerful story that shines a light on heavy topics while still keeping the reader emotionally invested.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
This book has a lot going on. It follows three women, (including a mother daughter pair), each with something to hide. One of the main topics is violence against African Americans by white police, and how to try to deal with that. Another main issue is communication - or lack thereof - amongst family. The grieving process is also a major theme.
I like that the story dealt with these big issues, and I found that it was well written. Unfortunately, after around halfway through the book, it morphed into a science fiction/paranormal story, which is really not my thing.
I won a free copy of this book (thanks to the author & publisher!) and am voluntarily providing an honest review.

[Jess Crotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so grateful to have received this book through a Goodreads giveaway! I was glued to the story the entire time, I loved the character development, the sci-FI / spiritual aspect and the ending.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book