Voices Respectful but Unafraid

by Linda A. Sanchez

Voices: Respectful but Unafraid is a powerful and emotionally resonant narrative about motherhood, healing, and the courage it takes to break generational cycles.

Leah was raised in a home where silence was survival and obedience was everything. As a child, she learned to stay small, say little, and never question. But when she became a mother, she made a promise to raise her children differently.

Told through honest reflection and poetic insight, this book explores the quiet but transformative moments that shaped Leah’s journey as a mother—from dinner table conversations to standing up for her daughter, from grace over guilt to love over fear.

Voices is a tribute to those who are choosing to raise the next generation with softness and strength, intention and love. It speaks to anyone who has ever questioned the patterns they inherited—and dared to raise their voice anyway.

80 pages, Paperback

Published April 23, 2025

About the author

Linda Ann Sanchez is the author of Lost & Found: The Journey of Socorro, a heartfelt memoir about resilience, faith, and identity. Found as a toddler on the streets of Guadalajara, Mexico, and later adopted into the U.S., Linda’s journey is one of overcoming abandonment, embracing love, and discovering the healing power of storytelling.

Since then, she has gone on to write and publish across genres—memoir, fiction, bilingual literature, psychological thrillers, and mystery-paranormal. She is currently venturing into speculative fiction with Truth: A Conspiratorium Novel, the first book in her new thriller trilogy, The Redacted Series, and has also co-authored several works that explore justice, betrayal, and inner strength.

Linda is the founder of Legacy & Light Publishing, a platform that supports diverse voices and helps authors share stories that matter—because every story deserves to shine. Through this work, she continues to empower others to reclaim their narratives and connect with readers around the world.

When she's not writing, Linda enjoys time with family, meaningful conversations with readers, and giving back—donating a portion of book proceeds to the orphanage where her life story began.
She loves connecting with readers on Goodreads, so feel free to follow her journey, leave a review, or send a message.

Reviews

[Steve Exeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Voices: Respectful but Unafraid' by Linda Sanchez reads like a cross between a novella and a long poem. The writing is slim in page count yet expansive in feeling, giving the impression of something carefully distilled rather than hurried or overloaded. Every word has been chosen with intention, which makes the story feel lyrical even when it is dealing with pain and silence.

We follow Leah, who has grown up in a household where obedience and fear carried more weight than love or conversation. Her reflections are both deeply personal and quietly universal, capturing the way generational patterns seep into adulthood. What struck me most was the tenderness with which Sanchez writes about Leah’s determination to raise her children differently. Mateo, Lila and Maya become more than names on the page. They symbolise a possibility of voice, freedom and choice that Leah herself was never given.

The structure of the book mirrors Leah’s process of healing. Short passages of memory are layered with present-day observations, moving between past and present without ever losing coherence. It reads almost like a diary opened up for us to see, yet polished into something with literary weight. The language is stripped back but powerful, and there are moments where it feels as if you are reading a poem disguised as prose.

What stays with you is the balance between pain and grace. Leah acknowledges the weight of silence she once carried, but the focus of the book is on how she learns to let it go. The themes of connection, respect and courage run through every page, and there is a quiet beauty in watching a mother redefine what love can look like.

This is not a book to rush. It is slim enough to read in one sitting, but I found myself pausing often, almost as if each chapter was asking for a moment of reflection. If you are drawn to writing that feels both raw and lyrical, and if you appreciate stories that blend fiction with emotional truth, then 'Voices: Respectful but Unafraid' is one I would recommend without hesitation.

[Rocco Spanò · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must-read

First I read the Spanish edition and after the English one and both are well written.
I really like reading this book and I can say it is a book not only for mothers but for parents. So read it please and take care of your CHILDREN.

[Jesus Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Motherly Words:
What an interesting perspective. A line in the author’s book reads, “But respect wasn’t the same as fear. And boundaries weren’t the same as control.” This line captures the essence of the book. From Leia, we learn that her own voice was muffled with fear and unreasonable boundaries. She finds herself empowered by a push-back moment with her mother, and it also creates a newfound vision of what she’d like her children to experience: having a voice and being heard without dire consequences. Just speak your mind, and we will go from there. Leia tells her son, “Even though I don’t agree, I’m proud of how you shared your thoughts.” And Leia approaches all her children this way, and she feels what could have been a generational curse is now broken and washed away. It heals her. Because this book is written from a mother’s perspective, I would LOVE to read a follow-up book from the father’s perspective. A book that builds on the mother GIVING them a voice, and how the father parallels this by instilling the value of working hard to say something of value, knowing what to say when sticking up for others, and using one’s voice to take initiative or ask for help just like their mother taught them: Respectful but Unafraid. Bravo, Linda Sanchez. What a great book with a terrific insight into Leia’s journey. Did I mention I have a HUGE crush on the author?

[Lisbeth Amanecer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me goosebumps, as the heartfelt look at mother-daughter dynamics resonated with me deeply. If I become a parent one day, I'll look back fondly on this piece of writing. I’m in awe of Linda Sanchez's idea that parental leadership should encompass "slowing down" and "listening first", challenging the traditional model of control. Her acknowledgement that good parenting means owning up to your own mistakes, felt especially powerful to me. I also got chills when Sanchez wrote, "Now, she was building a different kind of table," because I believe parent-child relationships built on mutual respect is something to be cherished.

[Miriam Schwellnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender read

Voices is an honest novel about a mother who breaks cycles of silence and control by raising her children with intention and care. Told through vignettes and reflective letters, it captures the quiet power of everyday moments.

Sanchez’s confessional tone makes the story feel both intimate and universal. The structure can feel a bit repetitive at times, but the emotional honesty and gentle storytelling still make this a meaningful read for anyone navigating conscious parenting.

[Angeli Fitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not just about parenting—it’s about unlearning the silence, fear, and patterns we grew up with, and replacing them with respect, love, and honesty. The author shows what happens when you give children a safe space to speak their minds and be heard, without rushing to “fix” or control them.

What struck me most is how she models emotional honesty. Instead of defending or dismissing, she demonstrates the strength in admitting mistakes and listening fully. That simple shift transforms relationships.

I felt both challenged and inspired. Challenged to notice when I’m shutting down voices around me, and inspired to raise kids who are not only kind, but also unafraid to speak their truth. Short but powerful, this book is one I’ll return to often.

[Amber Daulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a parent, but I enjoyed this memoir-type book about the author’s relationship with her children. Mom and son/daughter relationships are complicated. It’s hard for a parent to know where to draw the line between friend and disciplinarian, to know when to step back and listen instead of asserting control. Leah’s struggles felt real, as did her need to show her children understanding and compassion, which went against the way she herself was raised. Mutual respect is something highly prized and hard to obtain, but Leah managed to achieve it.
4 Stars

[Seth Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite short, but it is an interesting look at the feelings of a woman and mother. It is apparent that the author had some struggles growing up and wanted to be a different kind of parent to her own kids. It plays out as sort of a poem in some ways, giving quick but deep looks at how being a parent taught her many new things from different perspectives. Anyone looking for sharp writing and introspective emotional commentary on being a parent or a mother, particularly, will enjoy this quick and insightful book.

[David Towner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disfruté de un libro anterior de Linda Sánchez así que decidí echar un vistazo a Voces: Respetuosas pero Sin Miedo. Esta novela, como la anterior, no decepcionó. Linda parece escribir desde un lugar muy personal manteniendo la habilidad de crear personajes bien redondeados y creíbles. La protagonista, Leah, supera su propio trauma infantil y construye una vida para sus tres hijos, rompiendo un ciclo de trauma. Es un libro sobre resiliencia y fuerza.