How We Healed: a novel

by Melody Fowler, Arric Fowler

2022 RED RIBBON WINNER Wishing Shelf Awards

2022 BEST BOOK AWARD FINALIST for American Book Fest
"A compelling family drama. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended." The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

"An often vivid family saga, centered on a satisfyingly complex matriarch." - Kirkus Reviews "This book did an excellent job of teaching essential life lessons.” - OnlineBookClub.org Review
There is nothing ordinary about the journey we take in life, or the people in it. A tale of starting over and an unforgettable odyssey of healing. Desperate to escape a difficult life in the South, Drunetta Brown flees to New York City with her children. And there, she develops powerful friendships that help her claim her place in a changing world.

Genres: Fiction

270 pages, ebook

First published August 24, 2022

About the author

Melody was born Vancouver, BC, Canada, December 20, 1965. She is also a recognized painter and a poet. Her art has been showcased in local galleries and she published a book of poetry, “Life Lyrics” in 2011, released as an Audiobook in 2023. She now lives outside Vancouver, with her husband Arric, where their backyard, affectionately known as the “Fowler Vineyard”, continues to produce amazing wines and jellies.

A novel she has co-written with her husband Arric Fowler, "How We Healed."

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drunetta, a black housewife, leaves her drunkard husband in the south and moves to New York City with her young children.

This is a story about friendship, determination, and the journey of Drunetta's life. Drunetta struggles with trying to teach her children invaluable life lessons while learning a few of her own. The characters are vibrant and lovable, I was immediately drawn into the story by the narrator and felt like I was right beside of them. If you are looking for a raw, inspiring read, pick up this book!

All opinions stated above are my own. I received the audio version of this title from Poetic Gems Publishing via NetGalley.

[June Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it weird to give five stars to a book you didn't enjoy reading? The thing is, this isn't really the genre of story that interest me, but nevertheless, I have to acknowledge that is it very well written with flawed characters that ultimately address their issues and heal. Despite not really appreciating this type of story, I have to admire the skill and talent that the authors displayed in its writing.

[Larissa Goulart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting a lot from this book, but it was amazing. In fact, it reminds me of one of my favorite books of all times Yaa Gyasy's Homegoing.

In this book, we follow the story of Drunetta across many years of her life, but in a non-linear fashion. Many times the narrator switches to follow other important people in her life. We start the book at a turning point in her life - when she decides to leave her drunk husband and move to NY - but we get flashbacks of the past and the story shifts to different points in time.
For me, this is a story about family, the complicated relationships that we build with our relatives, and how they affect the future generations. It's beautiful to see how Drunetta perceives herself, her mom, her ancestors in her kids, grandkids and so on.
Drunetta is by no means a perfect character, she has flaws, but she also learns with her mistakes. She learns to be patient, to understand why she gets angry and I think its amazing to hear her inner thoughts while she is growing as a person.
The only reason why this is not a five star for me is that I think some times the narrator doesn't spend enough time in someone's story and then shifts to the next person. I wish we could see some of the narratives (like Rose's) be a bit more developed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review!

[Jill Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hooked me from the very beginning as the main character Drunetta leaves her cheating husband and moves to the city with her children in 1950s southern US. Her struggles are not small yet the warmth and strength in her voice kept me believing in her, and knowing she will connect with friends. The book is not just Drunetta's story but the saga of her extended family and friends, and the author clearly created these vivid people with love and perhaps based on family history. An absorbing and inspiring read.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A soulful book that will take you back in time, and let you discover, and FEEL, what it used to be. A short family saga about friendship and love, about mistakes and lives well lived.
I found myself cry, laugh, and think about my own shortcomings and successes.
A great read for sure. Thank you Melody!

[Sam Pernoski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read that truly connects to your soul. What an interesting story! I couldn't stop reading it! Hope this author puts out more!

[Jackie Wolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worthwhile Read

This is a very worthwhile read. It's true to life with the good, the bad and the ugly. The characters are a great variety, and you can identify with the emotions and the reactions. There's happiness and sadness, just like real life. I would definitely recommend this novel!

[Michael Paletta · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining and insightful journey alongside the life of a brave yet flawed black woman as tries to reset her life path. The authors create a very authentic feel with engaging characters that both draws you in and causes the reader to reflect on your own relationships and life journey. Enjoyable and worth a read:)

[C.J. Wills · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of the journey of life. I really enjoyed this book co-authored by a wife and husband team. A tale of life and it's ups and downs. Things that are worth fhe effort as well as things that in better judgement are not. 

It goes through different time periods with the different characters in the book. I felt a strong connection to all these characters. Even though the book was written as a story, I couldn't help but feel I was reading the author's personal story and journey.

My only downside to the writing style was at times I felt I got my timeline confused. It wasnt hard to get back on track at all but with quite a few characters and a good span of time it did happen to me here and there. 

Drunetta, the main character had some rough times in life but escaped an abusive relationship with an alcoholic spouse as well as overcoming oppression to make friends with people from religious backgrounds to bar singers. One thing for sure her determination helped her forge through her problems in a time period that wasn't necessarily the case.

All in all I found this book a wonderfully moving story. It was well written, the character building was excellently done sometimes using these other characters to help give clarity into Drunetta's life and situation. It was a hard book to put down, it keeps your attention from start to finish. A definite worthy read!!!

[Wendy Dann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book!

I loved reading this book! I was transported into Drunetta’s world every time I picked it up. l fell in love with her captivating friends and fascinating family, and it was wonderful to accompany Drunetta on her journey through the decades. I also enjoyed the chapters that looked through the eyes of the other characters, and this brought even deeper dimension to their characters. For me, the author’s style just painted a full, lush, natural background for a very compelling story.

[Book Enchanted · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book captivated me. I adored everyone of the characters, who were all battling their own demons and baggage while attempting to make their way in the world. I cherished the fact that they all supported one another despite their individual struggles and loved one another despite their differences.
a research project on what it means to be human. Beautiful

[Annalise Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a painful, beautiful story and I was rooting for Drunetta the whole time. She is such a strong woman and mother. I can't imagine all the pain she went through and how she persevered. A great read but be ready to shed some tears, too.

[Venus · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this

This is a really heartwarming story and although it says it’s a novel, it’s very obviously told from personal events. It goes from one story to the next flawlessly and keeps you turning the page. Highly recommended.

[Penney Hook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed the journey that I was taken on through your writing..
I am in quiet contemplation enjoying all the messages about life that was skillfully written into the lives of your characters. Thanks for sharing some incredible life lessons

[Akriti Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book and the e-book and I really enjoyed both. The story was very much organized like the book, Black Cake, and shares similar themes of generational trauma, multiple generations, and the healing journey. The book also spanned from 1957-2011, with some chapters going as far back as 1914. What I loved about the book were the multiple perspectives and individual stories of most of the characters. I really enjoy reading the back story of characters and knowing how they came about, why they behave the way they do. The main character of this book was Drunetta Brown, an oppressed black housewife and mother , and most of the book was from her POV. It was her story of leaving her drunkard husband, surviving in a new city, forming long lasting friendships with Sister Rose and Raycie and the journey of healing. She was a strong and courageous woman, and I was so happy to read about other strong woman characters as well, which was very uncharacteristic during the time the story was set in. There were many religious aspects in the story as well, where many references to God, the Bible, and hymns were made, and for someone who is not as religious or believes in God, they might like the story less. I, however, did not mind the references and liked how everything flowed so well. It is also important to note that some of the words used, or sentiments described, are dated, and no longer accepted in today's society. For example, during 1960-1970s, people were not very accepting of homosexuality and you will see a little glimpse of that in the story. Words like "loose" to refer women who had sexual relations with multiple men or "sweet" to refer gay men were probably used back in the day, but is not acceptable today. However, the whole story in general was very progressive, and the characters were admirable, and relatable. I really liked Raycie's character because she was unapologetic about how she was, did not judge others and did not care what people thought of her. She lived her life on her own terms and I love having characters like that in the story. Overall, the novel had multiple layers , multple timelines and perspectives, but flowed very well.

[Billy Buttons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: How We Healed
Author: Melody and Arric Fowler

Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 2/5

Of the 16 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
8 thought the cover was good or excellent.
10 felt it was easy to follow.
11 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
11 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“A very enjoyable family saga filled with interesting characters. I very much enjoyed getting to know them.” Female reader, aged 52
“This is what I´d call an everyday life sort of book. There´s no HUGE dilemma, just lots of small problems the family encounters on the way. A relaxing read with easy to follow text and simple vocabulary.” Male reader, aged 38
“Although I did get a little confused in parts, I thought this was a thought-provoking novel with a ´real´ feel to it. The protagonist, Drunetta, is a complex character with a sad past – which she´s trying to escape from. The book´s theme seems to be meeting people which I liked very much.” Female reader, aged 62
“I enjoyed the contrast between where they left and where they went. I also felt the authors did a good job of developing the characters. I felt the story got a little muddled in the middle, but the ending was excellent. I suspect this author writing team will get better and better.” Female reader, aged 39

To Sum It Up:
‘A compelling family drama. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[jtiegans · Rating 5 out of 5]

How We Healed is a compelling, engaging, deep, and emotional tale of emergence from darkness, courage, resilience, self-awareness, and the power of understanding that “family” doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with blood.

Melody & Arric’s masterful writing creates of a depth in character introduction & description that made it so that I had a clear picture of the characters down to their distinct facial features and expressions. I could envision their personalities, hear their voices/accents, and I could even feel the rawness of their emotions.

This story - though filled with the both the internal and external struggles of not only Drunetta, but also of her blood family and of her new “chosen family” - has a warmth and hope to it that easily (and eagerly) carries the reader from one page to another wanting more. The wisdom shared from the author’s great-grandmother comes through clearly with poignant thoughts and revelations put forth in cleverly succinct, simple ways. “My complex ideas about religion and faith were reimagined by her simple acts of kindness.” (Ch.8, Ph.44)

These writers have no fear of tackling hard topics and are able to seamlessly work them into the story in an impactful and meaningful way. This book was so masterfully written that reading it unfolded like a film in my mind. It was incredible. I look forward to when “How We Healed” is made into a full length motion picture!

I couldn’t recommend it more highly!

[Dione Hanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this beautifully written story.

How We Healed is filled with life lessons about being a mother, daughter, spouse and friend, The main character inspires with her courage, strength and determination to love and care for her five children.. But she also tells you about her flaws and the mistakes that she has made that affected her children and those around her.

How We Healed is about Drunetta Brown, a young black women who escapes her marriage in the late 1950s. She flees to a city with three of her five children to start a new life. She has nothing with her except what they could carry and does not know a single soul in the new city..

Drunetta has strong family roots that support her throughout her life. She also develops some very special "sisters" in the new city that help and support her. This story jumps around in the life of Drunetta, which can be confusing at times. Just pay attention to the years at the beginning of each chapter. This would probably be easier to understand in a book form.

Kimberly Yvonne Steele was an excellent narrator of this story. She helped make it come to life for me.

[Sharon Valler: Live Love Read Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written story about Drunetta Brown, a young black women who escapes an abusive and adulterous marriage, in the late 1950s, fleeing with her children to start a new life.

Despite her strength and determination, Drunetta recognises, and acknowledges, her flaws as a wife, mother and friend. There are many life lessons written about in this book, and the Drunetta’s determination, against the odds, is inspiring.

Drunetta forges strong friendships with Rose and Raycie and although they are all very different women, from differing walks of life, they support each other unconditionally throughout the decades of their lives.

My only criticism of this book would be that there are possibly too many characters, and because the timeline jumps all over the place, sometimes quite randomly, it can be confusing and hard to keep up, however, overall this is a beautiful book and I would strongly recommend it.

The narration by Kimberly Yvonne Steele was excellent.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is 1957, and Drunetta Brown has had enough. An oppressed woman of colour, she decides to leave her husband and his alcohol problem behind in the South, and head to New York with her youngest children.

Initially, making a life as a single mother is easier said than done, but fortunately, Drunetta eventually finds her place - due, in large part, to the much-needed support of other black women from very different backgrounds. Like the lively bar singer, Rayceen.

This book is peopled with flawed but honest characters, some of whom are both relatable and likeable. Drunetta makes her mistakes in the process of following through with her plans, but she grows through that process.

There is a lot of warmth in this story, which draws readers in, and leaves one thinking about the characters long after the book is finished.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for advanced access to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

The quality of the audiobook recording was exceptional and sounded more "crisp" than other books I have listened to!

This story follows Drunetta Brown as she navigates life with her children after leaving her husband. I loved the premise of the story and the message it conveys. However, around the 30-40% mark the timelines of multiple characters became difficult to follow. I think the potency of this novel's narrative was diluted from how back and forth it went.

[Cheryl Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel of historic fiction, I am struck by the fact that "How We Healed" is based on life's truths as depicted through the eyes of the protagonist, Drunetta Brown. As each character is uniquely introduced in separate chapters, it unfolds a backstory of pain and betrayal, along with love and acceptance that make up the fabric of family. Written with artistic license, I applaud Canadian co-authors Melody and Arric Fowler for telling this story, and as I understand it, for keeping the memories alive of a special woman who evidently remains close to their heart. Well done!

[Stacey Mckeogh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hooked me in. I loved all the characters, each dealing with their own demons and pasts and trying to find their way in the world. I loved that they were all there for each other regardless of what they were personally dealing with and loved each other, seeing past their preconceptions.
A study in what it means to be human. Beautiful.

[Nora Nora · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blurb would have you believe this book is about the friendship between three women, how the MC rebuilds her life with the help of her new friends. No, that is a very small portion of this book.
The multiple POVs (I stopped counting after 6) and the confusing timeline was just not a good time for me.

[Julie-anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is a novel that brings tears to the tearless and joy where it is so needed. It takes a previous reader back to reading. It hit all the right notes and culminates in the perfect ending - a lifetime and lifetimes of a family and its many kin - generations of lessons and discoveries. Thank you to Melody and Arric Fowler for being so profound in its 199 pages.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent piece of writing. I could empathize with the main character enduring an abusive relationship and protecting her child. I thought the writing style was excellent and the pacing was really good. An excellent read!

[Laura Prindable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for an audio copy of How We Healed by Melody Fowler and Arric Fowler. This Novel was co-written by a husband and his wife. Many life and personality discoveries are withing these pages. It is a worthwhile read.

[Cleonice Covelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

How We Healed is a beautifully written novel that captures life’s joys and struggles with honesty and heart. The characters feel relatable, and their stories stay with you long after the last page. A touching, thought-provoking, and unforgettable read — highly recommended.

[LeeAnne Doucette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read for those who have struggled & overcome adversity! Very inspirational!

[Monique Frunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

How We Healed is a truly enjoyable, worthwhile read.
The story flows so easily that it effortlessly draws you in to share in the characters' lives, and you quickly find yourself caring about these people.
Though you are only a spectator in the story you are privileged to glean some truly profound pearls of human wisdom.
I would highly recommend this beautifully written story.