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FOOTPRINTS: A Novella
Seventeen-year-old Shevaun is just trying to get through school, survive soccer season, and ignore the drama of her fractured family. But when she hears the shocking news that her childhood friend Damon is dying, everything she thought she knew begins to shift. What follows is a transformative journey through the fragile and unpredictable landscape of grief, love, friendship, and faith.
Set in small-town New Zealand at the turn of the millennium, FOOTPRINTS is a poignant coming-of-age novella told through diary-style reflections. In Shevaun’s voice—intimate, contemplative, and piercing in its emotional honesty—this deeply personal story traces a young woman navigating the complexities of adolescence.
What begins as a chronicle of heartbreak expands into something far greater. As Shevaun grapples with the news about Damon, she must also face the unraveling of a childhood friendship turned toxic, the wreckage of her relationship with her estranged father, and her cousin Eddie’s secret crisis of identity.
As Shevaun wrestles with the chaos, she finds unexpected strength in new connections—with Emma, a girl who disrupts her defences with unfamiliar kindness and a faith she does not yet understand; and with Kian, whose patient presence becomes something more than friendship. But as her heart cracks open, healing is anything but linear.
And then Damon dies.
What unfolds next is not resolution, but uncertain restoration. The pages of FOOTPRINTS hold space for raw vulnerability as Shevaun slowly learns that to keep going doesn’t mean forgetting. Her grief becomes both anchor and compass, tethering her to a boy already fading, while slowly allowing herself to step into something new.
From windswept coastlines to the wild beauty of the Abel Tasman National Park, FOOTPRINTS is rich with the textures of New Zealand life—where landscapes mirror internal terrain and every place is reminiscent of love in all its messy, unspoken, resilient.
This novella doesn’t shy away from life’s difficult questions—Why do we lose the ones we love? Where is God when prayers go unanswered? How do you live with a heart that holds both love and loss at once?—but always leads toward hope.
Through heartbreak and healing, Shevaun’s voice remains achingly stubborn, sarcastic, sincere. Her world is filled with imperfect people doing their best to traverse betrayal, confusion, identity, and moments that upend everything.
With her signature blend of lyrical narrative, emotional precision, and spiritual depth, Chee captures what it means to be young and trying—to find meaning in pain, to hold sacred the people we’ve loved, and to recognize when it’s time to begin again.
FOOTPRINTS is a tender reminder that the ones we lose never really leave us. They shape us. They walk beside us. They remain—in memories, in mementos, in the quiet echo of our hearts. Because some people leave footprints etched so deep on the soul that we are never ever the same.
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Recommended for mature teens (15+) and adults, this novella is perfect for readers who enjoy emotionally grounded coming-of-age stories. It’s particularly suited to those who appreciate introspective, character-driven narratives that explore grief, faith, family, love, and the fragile beauty of friendship in times of upheaval. With a raw yet lyrical voice, FOOTPRINTS traces the quiet but powerful transformations that follow loss, carrying spiritual undercurrents and moments of soul-deep reflection.
Set in small-town New Zealand at the turn of the millennium, FOOTPRINTS is a poignant coming-of-age novella told through diary-style reflections. In Shevaun’s voice—intimate, contemplative, and piercing in its emotional honesty—this deeply personal story traces a young woman navigating the complexities of adolescence.
What begins as a chronicle of heartbreak expands into something far greater. As Shevaun grapples with the news about Damon, she must also face the unraveling of a childhood friendship turned toxic, the wreckage of her relationship with her estranged father, and her cousin Eddie’s secret crisis of identity.
As Shevaun wrestles with the chaos, she finds unexpected strength in new connections—with Emma, a girl who disrupts her defences with unfamiliar kindness and a faith she does not yet understand; and with Kian, whose patient presence becomes something more than friendship. But as her heart cracks open, healing is anything but linear.
And then Damon dies.
What unfolds next is not resolution, but uncertain restoration. The pages of FOOTPRINTS hold space for raw vulnerability as Shevaun slowly learns that to keep going doesn’t mean forgetting. Her grief becomes both anchor and compass, tethering her to a boy already fading, while slowly allowing herself to step into something new.
From windswept coastlines to the wild beauty of the Abel Tasman National Park, FOOTPRINTS is rich with the textures of New Zealand life—where landscapes mirror internal terrain and every place is reminiscent of love in all its messy, unspoken, resilient.
This novella doesn’t shy away from life’s difficult questions—Why do we lose the ones we love? Where is God when prayers go unanswered? How do you live with a heart that holds both love and loss at once?—but always leads toward hope.
Through heartbreak and healing, Shevaun’s voice remains achingly stubborn, sarcastic, sincere. Her world is filled with imperfect people doing their best to traverse betrayal, confusion, identity, and moments that upend everything.
With her signature blend of lyrical narrative, emotional precision, and spiritual depth, Chee captures what it means to be young and trying—to find meaning in pain, to hold sacred the people we’ve loved, and to recognize when it’s time to begin again.
FOOTPRINTS is a tender reminder that the ones we lose never really leave us. They shape us. They walk beside us. They remain—in memories, in mementos, in the quiet echo of our hearts. Because some people leave footprints etched so deep on the soul that we are never ever the same.
---
Recommended for mature teens (15+) and adults, this novella is perfect for readers who enjoy emotionally grounded coming-of-age stories. It’s particularly suited to those who appreciate introspective, character-driven narratives that explore grief, faith, family, love, and the fragile beauty of friendship in times of upheaval. With a raw yet lyrical voice, FOOTPRINTS traces the quiet but powerful transformations that follow loss, carrying spiritual undercurrents and moments of soul-deep reflection.
85 pages, Paperback
Published August 5, 2025
About the author
Rosie Chee
12 books1 followerRosie Chee, originally from New Zealand and now based in the United States, is a multifaceted writer with a soul-driven purpose. Her first love, as long as she can remember, has always been reading and writing. Her “since forever” dream was simply to be a writer, with words flowing as naturally to her as blood flows to life, as freely as the tides of the ocean.
Rosie’s lifelong passion for writing is deeply rooted in her belief that words have the power to inspire and transform lives. To her words are not just a form of expression, but a powerful force of presence. Her work often explores with a sensitivity the spaces we rarely speak of, timeless truths bared in a way to stir and remind the soul of its strength and resilience through times of love, loss, and transformation.
Rosie’s non-fiction work has often been dedicated to helping others discover their purpose, encouraging personal growth, and motivating change. Formerly known for her insightful columns on beauty, health, fitness, and wellness in leading magazines, she blends her expertise with her spiritual journey. Having contributed a vast array of articles to both online and print publications in the sports, supplements, and training industries, Rosie’s work demonstrates her expertise and ability to produce well researched content across multiple topics and arenas, not only from a scientific standpoint but through years of personal experience. She continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible, inspiring others to live authentically and embrace their highest potential.
Though not limited to the more inspirational and motivational pieces she has become known for, Rosie’s work refuses to be boxed into any one particular area, and her non-fiction prose often delves deep into the more nuanced aspects of existence, exploring and illuminating the myriad emotional and psychological changes that happen as one lives.
Though her fiction creatives have evolved as much as she over time, Rosie has always sought through her work to “see past the image and CAPTURE the ESSENCE”. She wants her words to be real enough to captivate people, so that they feel the emotion and experience behind them as if it were their own. Rosie writes from the spaces between silence and understanding, where memory meets imagination, blending emotional precision with poetic insight. Ever dancing across timelines, she is endlessly drawn to reach beyond the realms of reality into the fantasy, where the lines blur so deeply, the difference becomes impossible to distinguish.
Rosie’s stories consistently touch something primal and tender. There is an emotional continuity in her works that transcends setting or character. Her characters are not perfect, but souls who, despite unspeakable wounds and trauma, still reach for meaning, healing, and connection, navigating sorrow, sacrifice, and love as both risk and redemption, light meeting shadow not to erase but to soften it. It is her SIGNATURE, where sorrow and grief become resonant with beauty and life.
Whether creative non-fiction or story, Rosie’s words whisper before they roar, echoing beyond the pages. As her best friend once said, “We don’t write just to write, but to shake people to their cores.”
Freesoul in essence, Rosie does not define herself by any one thing, nor does she care to be labeled by others. She has taken on many roles across many lifetimes, yet her core truth remains unchanged: her heart and soul are purposed to make a difference, whether she is aware of it or not. When not writing, Rosie finds peace in skydiving.
Rosie’s lifelong passion for writing is deeply rooted in her belief that words have the power to inspire and transform lives. To her words are not just a form of expression, but a powerful force of presence. Her work often explores with a sensitivity the spaces we rarely speak of, timeless truths bared in a way to stir and remind the soul of its strength and resilience through times of love, loss, and transformation.
Rosie’s non-fiction work has often been dedicated to helping others discover their purpose, encouraging personal growth, and motivating change. Formerly known for her insightful columns on beauty, health, fitness, and wellness in leading magazines, she blends her expertise with her spiritual journey. Having contributed a vast array of articles to both online and print publications in the sports, supplements, and training industries, Rosie’s work demonstrates her expertise and ability to produce well researched content across multiple topics and arenas, not only from a scientific standpoint but through years of personal experience. She continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible, inspiring others to live authentically and embrace their highest potential.
Though not limited to the more inspirational and motivational pieces she has become known for, Rosie’s work refuses to be boxed into any one particular area, and her non-fiction prose often delves deep into the more nuanced aspects of existence, exploring and illuminating the myriad emotional and psychological changes that happen as one lives.
Though her fiction creatives have evolved as much as she over time, Rosie has always sought through her work to “see past the image and CAPTURE the ESSENCE”. She wants her words to be real enough to captivate people, so that they feel the emotion and experience behind them as if it were their own. Rosie writes from the spaces between silence and understanding, where memory meets imagination, blending emotional precision with poetic insight. Ever dancing across timelines, she is endlessly drawn to reach beyond the realms of reality into the fantasy, where the lines blur so deeply, the difference becomes impossible to distinguish.
Rosie’s stories consistently touch something primal and tender. There is an emotional continuity in her works that transcends setting or character. Her characters are not perfect, but souls who, despite unspeakable wounds and trauma, still reach for meaning, healing, and connection, navigating sorrow, sacrifice, and love as both risk and redemption, light meeting shadow not to erase but to soften it. It is her SIGNATURE, where sorrow and grief become resonant with beauty and life.
Whether creative non-fiction or story, Rosie’s words whisper before they roar, echoing beyond the pages. As her best friend once said, “We don’t write just to write, but to shake people to their cores.”
Freesoul in essence, Rosie does not define herself by any one thing, nor does she care to be labeled by others. She has taken on many roles across many lifetimes, yet her core truth remains unchanged: her heart and soul are purposed to make a difference, whether she is aware of it or not. When not writing, Rosie finds peace in skydiving.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 31, 2025
From the very first impression, FOOTPRINTS pulls you in with its quiet emotional depth and sincerity. The story follows seventeen-year-old Shevaun, a girl caught in the whirlwind of adolescence, grief, and rediscovery as she faces the devastating truth about her childhood friend Damon’s illness. Set in small-town New Zealand, the plot gracefully balances heartbreak and hope, offering a deeply human portrayal of loss and faith.
Rosie Chee’s writing style is intimate and lyrical, crafted through diary-like reflections that feel achingly real. The narrative flows like waves—gentle, raw, and honest—mirroring the ups and downs of Shevaun’s emotions. The themes of friendship, grief, and healing shine through beautifully, reminding us that faith and love can coexist with pain.
Personally, I found this novella to be profoundly touching—a story that lingers long after the last page. It reminds us that even in loss, we find strength, and in sorrow, there’s always a glimmer of grace. In conclusion, FOOTPRINTS isn’t just a coming-of-age tale; it’s a soulful reflection on what it means to live, love, and remember.
Rosie Chee’s writing style is intimate and lyrical, crafted through diary-like reflections that feel achingly real. The narrative flows like waves—gentle, raw, and honest—mirroring the ups and downs of Shevaun’s emotions. The themes of friendship, grief, and healing shine through beautifully, reminding us that faith and love can coexist with pain.
Personally, I found this novella to be profoundly touching—a story that lingers long after the last page. It reminds us that even in loss, we find strength, and in sorrow, there’s always a glimmer of grace. In conclusion, FOOTPRINTS isn’t just a coming-of-age tale; it’s a soulful reflection on what it means to live, love, and remember.
Displaying 1 of 1 review