In Five Years

by Mae Setrova

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2026

Reviews

[Olivia West]

My mom just recently passed away and I’ve been reading to find words to grapple what I can’t seem to say myself. Beautiful words about grief and healing

[Lyra Wren]

Mae weaves a beautiful story of grief and the journey one goes through after losing someone. It's told through a five year period so you can really see how time softens grief but doesn't make it any less potent and real. Mae's writing often touches my heart and this is no exception. Highly recommend this book, especially for those going through a grief journey.

[Erica Mahar]

“I hope the earth has swallowed you whole.
I hope tree roots have torn their way inside your
coffin and now bloom your fingerprints on
their leaves. I hope the sap travels through the
tree the way blood once pumped through
your veins. I hope the bark feels a little too familiar
when I touch it, like the center of your palms.

I hope the earth has found you and given
you a new role to play and together, we still exist
at the same time.”

This is one of the most visually beautiful ways to describe death.

[Moodreadervibes]

I cried from start to finish

This book had me sobbing from the second or third poem. This was absolutely brilliant. This is the book you grab when you need to have a really good cry but have a box of tissues nearby.

[S. Antoni-Sparks]

absolutely beautiful. there is nothing else to say.

this would be a lovely gift for someone grieving a spouse or close friend.

[Anna Carr]

Read this in one sitting today on the 6 month anniversary of losing my mom. Beautifully puts grief into words I haven’t been able to find myself. This will be one I come back to over and over again.