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Saving Phoebe Murrow: Have you ever tried to be the perfect mother?
“A tale of missed opportunities…and misunderstandings that lead to disaster, Herta Feely’s Saving Phoebe Murrow is a compelling first-rate domestic drama.” –Wayne Johnson, author of The Red Canoe
Saving Phoebe Murrow explores just how stressful and dangerous connecting with “friends” can be. This tale about the dark side of social media delves into the timeless struggle between mothers and daughters, between parents and teens, with a razor-sharp 21st century twist.
Phoebe’s mother, Isabel, is precariously balancing career and family when a vicious cyber-bullying episode aimed at Phoebe ends with horrific consequences. In her search for justice, Isabel, a DC lawyer, sets out to find the culprit behind this cruel incident, only to discover betrayal is closer than she imagined.
This heart-wrenching, harrowing novel for fans of Big Little Lies and Reconstructing Amelia is the winner of several awards, including the National Indie Excellence Award.
Saving Phoebe Murrow explores just how stressful and dangerous connecting with “friends” can be. This tale about the dark side of social media delves into the timeless struggle between mothers and daughters, between parents and teens, with a razor-sharp 21st century twist.
Phoebe’s mother, Isabel, is precariously balancing career and family when a vicious cyber-bullying episode aimed at Phoebe ends with horrific consequences. In her search for justice, Isabel, a DC lawyer, sets out to find the culprit behind this cruel incident, only to discover betrayal is closer than she imagined.
This heart-wrenching, harrowing novel for fans of Big Little Lies and Reconstructing Amelia is the winner of several awards, including the National Indie Excellence Award.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 15, 2025
17 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Herta Feely
6 books74 followersHerta Feely (also published as Herta B. Feely) is an award-winning writer and editor (Chrysalis Editorial). She is the author of two novels, SAVING PHOEBE MURROW and STRANGE SHAPE OF LOVE (released on September 30, 2025). Both fall into the category of suspenseful women's fiction and address contemporary topics, in this case the dark side of social media and the internet. Her short stories and memoir have been published in anthologies and literary journals. In the wake of the James Frey scandal, Feely edited and published the anthology, Confessions: Fact or Fiction? She was awarded the James Jones First Novel Fellowship and an Artist in Literature Fellowship from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. A graduate of UC Berkeley and Johns Hopkins University, Feely is the co-founder of Safe Kids Worldwide, an organization dedicated to saving children from unintentional injuries. She founded Chrysalis Editorial in 2007. She lives in metro Washington, DC, with her husband and orchids.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 16, 2025
Excellent Story on a Relevant Topic
Bullying has always been around. However, times have changed, and with the advent of Internet and social media, it has become so much more difficult to escape. That is evident from the number of tragic stories reported of suicide and attempted suicide by kids -- some still in elementary school -- a time when they should be living carefree lives.
This particular story is about Phoebe, a beautiful young girl with insecurities, even though she comes from a well-to-do family. You will be surprised by the actions of people and their justification for them in this story.
Bullying has always been around. However, times have changed, and with the advent of Internet and social media, it has become so much more difficult to escape. That is evident from the number of tragic stories reported of suicide and attempted suicide by kids -- some still in elementary school -- a time when they should be living carefree lives.
This particular story is about Phoebe, a beautiful young girl with insecurities, even though she comes from a well-to-do family. You will be surprised by the actions of people and their justification for them in this story.
June 10, 2025
Honestly, this novel had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The strength of the relationship of mother and daughter through Isabel and Phoebe was palpable through the pages. This story highlights so many conflicts that are real threats in modern society, and Herta Feely did a wonderful job of broaching this topic in a way that engages readers and gives this story life. Highly recommend giving this a read!
July 31, 2025
Hated it. Completely!
This book was such a disappointment for me. I don't even know why it's classified as a psychological thrillers. There was nothing about this book that warranted it as a psychological thrillers. Instead it was a slow mind numbing experience.
Wow! This book is basically about women who have nothing better to do with their time but obsess about their children...! Are you serious???
No thanks. I would give zero stars if I could.
This book was such a disappointment for me. I don't even know why it's classified as a psychological thrillers. There was nothing about this book that warranted it as a psychological thrillers. Instead it was a slow mind numbing experience.
Wow! This book is basically about women who have nothing better to do with their time but obsess about their children...! Are you serious???
No thanks. I would give zero stars if I could.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews